Coco Gauff Acknowledges Serving Struggles in Indian Wells Win Over Uchijima
Coco Gauff admitted that her serve let her down during her hard-fought Indian Wells victory over Moyuka Uchijima, but she didn’t hold back in saying she would have won in straight sets had she served better. The American, who is aiming for the title in California, secured a third-round showdown with Maria Sakkari after a grueling battle.
Gauff’s Tough Test Against Uchijima
Gauff started strong, clinching the first set 6-4, but Uchijima fought back to level the match by taking the second set 6-3. The deciding set saw both players engage in a fierce contest, with Gauff ultimately prevailing in a tiebreak after more than two and a half hours on court.
When asked post-match about areas she wanted to improve to boost her chances at Indian Wells, the 20-year-old was clear:
“Yeah, I mean obviously serve—just getting more serves in the court. Off the ground, I felt pretty good, honestly.”
She then confidently suggested that a stronger serve would have ended the match much earlier:
“I think if I just double-faulted less, it could have probably been a straight-set match. I felt like I was dictating more of the rallies.”
Despite the struggle, Gauff found positives in grinding out the victory, especially after a rough few weeks on tour.
Bouncing Back After a Tough Run
The 2023 US Open champion has faced challenges lately, suffering back-to-back defeats in the Middle East.
- Qatar Open: Lost in straight sets to Marta Kostyuk in the opening round
- Dubai Tennis Championships: Suffered another early exit to McCartney Kessler
- Australian Open: Fell in the quarter-finals to Paula Badosa
After struggling for form, Gauff is now looking to regain momentum in Indian Wells, where she’ll next face Maria Sakkari in the third round.
