Coco Gauff admitted to feeling “disappointed but not devastated” after her impressive start to the season ended in the Australian Open quarter-finals on Tuesday.
The world number three saw her hopes of securing a first Melbourne Park title come to an end following a 7-5, 6-4 loss to Spain’s 11th seed Paula Badosa on Rod Laver Arena.
Gauff, who had been riding a nine-match winning streak at the start of 2025, was outplayed by Badosa, particularly after the Spaniard edged out a close first set.
Reflecting on the defeat, the 20-year-old American, who claimed her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, said her approach to setbacks had evolved. Playing in her ninth Slam quarter-final, she emphasized that she wouldn’t dwell on the loss as she might have in earlier stages of her career.
“Even though it wasn’t my best performance, I gave everything I had on the court, and that’s something to be proud of,” Gauff remarked. “Not every match will go my way. A few years back, I probably would have been crushed by a loss like this, overwhelmed with a sense of finality.
“But now, it’s just disappointment—disappointment that I didn’t execute better in some moments.”
She noted that this loss felt different compared to her fourth-round defeat at the US Open last year, where she fell in three sets to Emma Navarro.
“Back in New York, I felt like I didn’t have any answers, and that made it so much harder to take,” Gauff said. On Tuesday, however, she committed six double faults and tallied 41 unforced errors but maintained a sense of clarity.
“This time, I feel like I played with a plan and know exactly what I need to improve on,” she explained. “Despite the loss, I can tell my game is on an upward path.
“Yes, it stings when you’re playing some of your best tennis and come up short, but that’s just how it goes. I’ll take the lessons and get back to work.”
AFP
