American tennis star Coco Gauff has expressed optimism that she will bounce back after a recent debacle in Doha.
The 19-year-old is often regarded as one of the most highly-rated players currently playing in the women’s singles category. Gauff had a poor start to her 2024 season as she was first knocked out of the Australian Open after losing in the semifinal to the current world number two Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka with a score of 7-6, 6-4.
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Things did not improve for her as she went on to lose in the second round of the Qatar Open to the Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova with a score of 6-2, 6-4.
Gauff was recently quoted in a report where she expressed optimism that she will be able to bounce back from the disappointment in Doha in the upcoming event in Dubai.
“In Doha, I lost in the first match because I didn’t play very well,” she said. “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.
“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.
“I hope to have a better week here,” Gauff said with a laugh, adding, “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, who won her maiden Grand Slam last year while playing on her home soil, will begin her campaign in the WTA 1000 event Dubai Duty Free Championship with a match against Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the round of 32 on Tuesday.
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Czech 16-year-old Brenda Fruhvirtova is the youngest woman to win an #AusOpen singles main draw match since Coco Gauff in 2020!pic.twitter.com/r4WWLJcUOY