Coco Gauff makes brutally honest admission after Italian Open heartbreak
Coco Gauff has made a brutally honest admission about her struggles after falling short in the Italian Open final against Jasmine Paolini. The loss is her second straight WTA 1000 final defeat, following her setback against Aryna Sabalenka in Madrid earlier in May.
Even though Gauff got past some big names such as Zheng Qinwen and Mirra Andreeva en route to the final in Rome, she couldn’t match Jasmine Paolini’s level when it mattered most. The Italian outplayed her 6-4, 6-2 to clinch the title, making history as the first Italian woman in 40 years to lift the trophy.
After the loss, Gauff addressed the media in her post-match press conference, admitting that while she was proud of making back-to-back finals in Madrid and Rome, she was disappointed with how she played against Paolini. Her frustration was evident from her words.
“Definitely proud of the two results, but also disappointed. It's a bittersweet feeling. Jasmine played great tennis today. Unfortunately, I felt like I didn't bring my best, which I knew I needed today. Overall, a lot to look forward to in Paris,” she said.
“It's not to discredit my opponent. She forced me to play that way. Yeah, maybe I could have served better and put more balls in the court, could play better. I definitely could and can. But she played to win today, and she deserved to win,” she added.
Coco Gauff’s serve was clearly off the mark today. And her 55 unforced errors and seven double faults only made things easier for Jasmine Paolini.
Coco Gauff on double faults: “It's something I have to improve and do better”
Coco Gauff gave an unfiltered interview after her Italian Open loss, openly admitting the areas she struggled in. She pointed to her double faults as something that needs fixing. However, when it came to her unforced errors, she explained that most of them came from trying to play aggressively, a strategy that didn’t quite work in her favor this time.
Gauff said:
“I think for me, I guess, yeah, with the double-faults, it's something I know I have to improve and do better. If I want to make it to the next level, it's definitely something I have to improve.”
"Unforced errors? I mean, I was just going for my shots. In the semi, I mean, there is context behind that in the semifinal. The court was super slow. We were both missing balls. It's not so easy to hit a winner. The only way to win the points is to force your opponent to make an error or they make an unforced error,” she added.
Next up for the 21-year-old is the French Open, where she will enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed.