Coco Gauff has vowed to block out the noise from “internet coaches” after her surprising defeat to Paula Badosa at the Australian Open, insisting she’s far from discouraged. “I’m not crushed,” the American said confidently.
Gauff, the world No. 3, entered the tournament in strong form, having won the season-ending WTA Finals and gone unbeaten at the United Cup. However, Badosa, who almost retired last year due to injury, upset Gauff with a 7-5, 6-4 win to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal.
Gauff’s forehand, a known vulnerability, resurfaced during the match as she committed 28 unforced errors and six double faults. When asked about dealing with criticism, the 20-year-old responded: “You have to realize that most of the internet coaches have never coached at my level or played at this level. It’s easy to comment from the outside.”
She continued, “People will always say, ‘Oh, she should have done this, or he should have done that,’ but when you’re out there, it’s different. I’m the one on the court, making the decisions. So if people want to say things, it is what it is.”
Despite the disappointment, Gauff remains proud of herself and is determined to improve. “Some people mean well, so I don’t take it all negatively. I’ll keep working to meet my own expectations. As for what others think, I can’t control that.”
Since her first Grand Slam victory at the 2023 US Open, Gauff hasn’t returned to a major final. Her US Open title defense ended in the fourth round, following semifinal runs at both the Australian Open and French Open last year.
Reflecting on her performance, Gauff said: “At the US Open, I played with no solution. That was frustrating. Today, I feel like I have solutions. I know what I need to improve.”
She acknowledged the progress she’s made, particularly with her serve. “I worked on it after the US Open, and while it’s not where I want it to be yet, it’s much better. I’ll keep working on playing more aggressively with margin.”
Despite the loss, Gauff is optimistic: “I’m not crushed. Even though it stings to lose after playing great tennis this year, I feel like I’m on the right path. We’ll get back to work.”
