Coco Gauff clarifies her goals following a ‘difficult day at the workplace’ in Doha.
Coco Gauff is hoping to rebound in Dubai after a surprise early exit at the Qatar Open.
Coco Gauff has responded to her surprising opening-round exit in Doha. The world number three suffered her first defeat since Wimbledon last summer, when Katerina Siniakova sent her packing. But she’s ready to bounce back in Dubai this week, dismissing the loss as a poor day at work.
Gauff had a solid start to the season, defending her title in Auckland and reaching the Australian Open semifinals. So it came as a huge surprise when she lost her opening match at the WTA 1000 in Doha last week, 6-2, 6-4 against world No. 39 Siniakova.
The early exit allowed the 19-year-old to spend some time away from the tennis court, taking a trip to the desert before flying to Dubai for the second WTA 1000 tournament of the season. While she enjoyed the experience, Gauff has stated that she wishes to compete as much as possible as long as she remains healthy.
Reflecting on the one-sided setback, the seven-time title winner said: It’s not that I was worried by the last loss; it was just a terrible day at the job, and I won’t let it dictate how things are going for me this week.
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In Doha, I lost the first match because I didn’t play well; perhaps if I had played better and still lost, the outcome would have been different. While some players needed time to process their defeats, Gauff stated that she wanted to fill her schedule and compete as much as possible.
She went on to say, In these moments, you must maintain perspective. For example, if a loss makes you feel compelled to skip a tournament, do so. In my situation, as long as I am healthy, I will continue to play as much as possible.
Gauff’s resolve to fill her calendar comes as the WTA has changed its schedule and event commitment standards. There are now 10 WTA 1000s and 21 required events, which may be perceived as overly intense given the grueling nature of the tennis tour.
But the 19-year-old is unconcerned about the changes, as she is still adjusting to a full tennis season after spending the majority of her career limited by how much she could participate while she was under 18. I’m always adapting to the tour, playing more events each time, Gauff said.
The season before last was the first in which I was able to play fully, so I am still learning about mandatory situations. I try not to make too many changes, and I don’t usually base them on my outcomes.
Gauff hopes to have a more fruitful week in Dubai, where she is the third seed. The American won a direct bye to the second round, where she will face fortunate loser Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
