‘Not Using Excuses’ – Coco Gauff Reveals Why Indian Wells Could Offer a Turnaround After Middle East Struggles
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Coco Gauff’s 2025 season has been a rollercoaster. After a blazing 22-2 singles run—capped by a United Cup win with Team USA and an Australian Open quarterfinal—her form nosedived. A loss to Paula Badosa in Melbourne sparked a slump, followed by early exits in Doha and Dubai. The 20-year-old took a breather, dazzling at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in a custom yellow Miu Miu gown while juggling brand gigs. Now, she’s back to tennis and bullish about a rebound at Indian Wells, the “fifth Grand Slam.”
Sitting at 9-3 this year, Gauff faced flak after her Middle East skid. At Indian Wells’ pre-tournament presser, she shrugged it off: “People blow it up—two losses, and it’s ‘she’s sinking.’ Been here before. I’ll bounce back.” She sees the setbacks as part of the grind and is eyeing a big statement.
But Indian Wells won’t be a cakewalk. After 25 years with Plexipave’s slow, high-bouncing hard courts, the tournament switched to Laykold—think faster, lower bounce, like the Miami Open and US Open. Gauff, a spin-heavy player, sees an edge. “In Doha, flatter hitters thrived—the ball didn’t bounce much for spinners like me,” she said. “No excuses, just facts: some conditions don’t suit everyone. Here, with more bounce, it might favor my style.”
Her Indian Wells record is 9-4, with no finals yet. She crashed out to Simona Halep in 2022’s first round, hit the quarters in 2023 (losing to Aryna Sabalenka), and fell to Maria Sakkari in the 2024 semis. Facing Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima in the Round of 64, Gauff’s steady climb fuels hope. Could she be the first American woman since Serena Williams (2001) to lift the title?
Gauff’s optimism extends to her compatriots. American women are sizzling—Madison Keys shone at Adelaide and the AO, Jessica Pegula nabbed a title—and Gauff feels the momentum. “I was in the semis last year, hoping it’d be me,” she said. “This time, I want an American to win, me or not. This is our biggest shot outside the US Open—we’ve got to bring it home.”
The Laykold switch stirs debate. Sabalenka “loves” faster courts, Rybakina calls them “nice,” but 2024 champ Iga Swiatek plans to just play her game. For Gauff, the new surface could be the spark to reverse her slide—or a chance for another American to end the drought. Who’ll seize it?
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