Last week in Doha, Gauff got ousted in her opening match.
Coco Gauff candidly admitted “not playing very well” was the main reason behind her shock early exit in Doha but added it was “nothing more than a bad day at the office” as the American tennis star hopes to bounce back this week in Dubai.
Last week, world No. 3 Gauff was beaten in her Doha opener as world No. 39 Katerina Siniakova upset the top-ranked American female tennis player 6-2 6-4.
After making a very slow start to the match and finding herself down by a set, Gauff appeared to be a completely different player at the start of the second set. But Gauff – who had a 4-0 lead and was up by a double break in the second set – stunningly lost the next six games and ultimately the match.
Gauff, who entered the Siniakova match with a 10-1 record in 2024, played by far her worst match of the season in Doha.
“In Doha, I lost in the first match because I didn’t play very well, maybe if I had played better and still lost, it would be different. It is in these moments that we must know how to maintain a sense of proportion,” Gauff said in her pre-tournament press conference in Dubai.
“For example, if after a loss you feel like you need to skip a tournament, do it. In my case, I will always try to play as much as possible, as long as I am healthy.”
After losing very early in the opening WTA 1000 tournament of the year in Doha, 19-year-old Gauff is aiming to do a lot better in the second WTA 1000 tournament of the year in Dubai.
In Dubai, Gauff has a first-round bye as the third-seeded player. On Tuesday, Gauff will be starting her Dubai campaign and playing against lucky loser Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the second round.
“I hope to have a better week here. I’m not too upset about my last loss either, it was just a bad day at work, I’m not going to let that determine how things go for me this week,” Gauff said.
For Gauff, this is her fourth Dubai appearance. Last year, Gauff achieved her best Dubai result when she made the semifinal.
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