Coco Gauff looks to move on from Australian Open heartbreak as she touches down in Doha ahead of Qatar Open 2025
Coco Gauff has landed in Doha for the 2025 Qatar Open. She will be the third seed at the event, behind her near rivals Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.
Gauff was last seen competing in the Australian Open, where she reached the quarterfinals. After solid wins over Leylah Fernandez and Belinda Bencic, Gauff was eliminated by Paula Badosa in the last eight on January 21.
The former World No. 2 opted to sit out for the Abu Dhabi Open but is now gearing up to be a part of the Qatar Open next week. She landed in Doha for the WTA 1000 event on Friday and shared an update via her Instagram stories on February 7.
Here is the picture posted by Gauff:
She is making her fourth appearance in the Qatar Open this week and will enter the event on the back of a title-winning run in the United Cup and a quarterfinal appearance in the Australian Open.
The 20-year-old has reached the quarterfinals in Doha twice so far. She was eliminated by Maria Sakkari in 2022 and came up shy against Veronika Kudermetova the following year.
Gauff will be eager to make amends this year after a short stint at the Qatar Open in 2024 when she was stunned by Katerina Siniakova in straight sets in the first round.
While Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek will be the top two seeds at the event, Emma Raducanu has received a wildcard entry in Doha.
"It's easier to look on the outside"- Coco Gauff responds to critics after her 2025 Australian Open QF exit
Coco Gauff would have wished to make an impact at the Australian Open this year. However, her run was halted by Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals, causing her to receive flak from fans online.
The American hit back at the comments and claimed most people giving their opinions had never actually played professional tennis. She also highlighted how it was easier to comment from the outside
"You just got to realize that most of the internet coaches never coached anyone at my level or never played. So it's one of those things where it's easier to look on the outside," Coco Gauff said during the post-match press conference.
"All those things when you're playing and commentating and you hear, not commentators, but just people saying, 'Oh, she should have made this or he should have made that'. Even when I'm watching, I do that. But obviously when you're out there, it's different," she added.
Gauff reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2024, losing to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka in a gripping encounter.