‘Results Don’t Happen Right Away’- Coco Gauff Keeps Criticism Aside as She Delivers Perfect Response to the Naysayers
“Learning from hard losses is the only thing you can do. If you try to forget about it, you’ll never learn,” Coco Gauff said after a tough 2023 Australian Open exit. That mindset fueled her rise, leading to a 2023 US Open title, a Cincinnati WTA 1000 crown, and a 2024 WTA Finals victory, cementing her as the highest-paid female athlete. But 2025 has tested her resolve. A shaky serve and inconsistent form have sparked criticism, yet Gauff remains undaunted, openly addressing her struggles and committing to improvement.
Gauff started 2025 red-hot, leading Team USA to the United Cup title and winning nine of her first ten matches in Australia. But losses piled up—R16 exits at Indian Wells and Miami, plus first-round defeats in Dubai and Qatar. On clay, she reached the Stuttgart quarterfinals but fell 6-4, 6-3 to Jasmine Paolini, undone by two double faults while serving at 5-4 in the first set.
Her serve remains a glaring issue. Gauff leads the WTA Tour with 121 double faults in 18 matches in 2025, compared to Aryna Sabalenka’s 33 in 23 matches and Iga Swiatek’s 66 in 27. In a candid Vogue interview, Gauff acknowledged the challenge: “When you’re changing things, results don’t always happen right away. I’m trying to serve better, return better. It’s tough to find the timing, but you have to accept it won’t be perfect immediately.”
A 2022 Roland Garros finalist, Gauff thrives on clay but needs to tame her serve to contend for another Grand Slam. Ahead of the Madrid Open, she shared her evolving mindset: “I strive for perfection, which can be good but also a bad thing. I used to think I needed matches for confidence, but now I believe you can turn it around any week.”
Facing Dayana Yastremska, against whom she holds a 2-0 clay head-to-head, Gauff has a chance to kickstart her clay season at the Madrid Open. A strong showing could rebuild her momentum for Roland Garros.
