MELBOURNE, Australia — Coco Gauff did not disguise her disappointment at a fourth-round exit through the Australian Open, briskly strolling from Margaret Court docket Enviornment and later tearing up in her postmatch information convention. However nonetheless simply 18 years of age, the world No. 7 is aware of she will be able to’t win each match, day-after-day.
“After each loss, I just about study one thing — and each win too,” Gauff stated upon falling in straight units to Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia.
“At the moment, I realized quite a bit. [I’m] just a little bit pissed off, however I believe I am going to rewatch and see the place I went unsuitable.”
Ostapenko was at her aggressive greatest, walloping 30 winners and denying Gauff on break level in seven of eight alternatives given to the American participant. Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, took benefit of break level alternatives of her personal, going three from three within the match.
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“If you play a participant like her and he or she performs actually, nicely, it is like there’s nothing you are able to do,” Gauff stated.
After a breakthrough yr in 2022 through which she made the ultimate of the French Open, Gauff has began 2023 on an unbelievable observe. She notched eight straight wins, accumulating the WTA title on the ASB Traditional in Auckland, New Zealand, previous to shifting her consideration to Melbourne and the Australian Open.
She had her eyes on a primary Grand Slam title and stated she was disenchanted on the means it ended.
“I believe [I’m frustrated] as a result of I labored actually laborious and I felt actually good coming into the match, and I nonetheless really feel good. Like, I nonetheless really feel like I’ve improved quite a bit,” Gauff stated.
“I believe Jelena performed actually good tennis, and he or she performed actually aggressive. I really feel like every thing was working for her immediately. I attempted my greatest within the second to fight that. There was a few issues I might have improved on, however total, I believe she deserved to win immediately.”
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Gauff is now not the 15-year-old unknown who made headlines by beating Venus Williams, amongst others, on her solution to a fourth spherical at Wimbledon. She is now a Slam finalist and a WTA tour finalist, and he or she carries a weight of expectation at majors.
Earlier this week, Gauff revealed she goes to carry off on school lessons for some time as she seems to be to take care of and enhance on her top-10 rating.
“[College] is one thing I need to do sooner or later. I am not doing something proper now. I stated I desire a yr of being on tour and simply being tennis — and seeing how I really feel,” she stated earlier within the week.
Her subsequent few months are fairly massive within the context of her season and her rating.
She’ll rise one place to world No. 6 after Maria Sakkari misplaced within the third spherical in Melbourne, however Gauff might want to defend the factors she earned from a deep run to the ultimate at Roland Garros final yr, and, previous to that, her third- and fourth-round berths at Indian Wells and Miami.
However for now, her consideration turns to the doubles portion of the match with compatriot Jessica Pegula, who is thru to a 3rd straight Australian Open quarterfinal after defeating Barbora Krejcikova in straight units on Sunday.
“I believe doubles has taught me how one can play, after shedding, how one can play with frustration, and that is what I felt like immediately,” Gauff stated.
“So I really feel like it can assist me sooner or later. , bouncing again from a loss is troublesome in a Grand Slam, however I am wanting ahead to tomorrow.”