Coco Gauff‘s time in the Middle East was far from convincing, with the young American finishing the swing with a 2-2 record.
Gauff was beaten in her first match at this year’s Qatar Open by the unorthodox Katerina Siniakova, losing in straight sets. She returned to winning ways in her subsequent tournament in Dubai, beating Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Karolina Pliskova to reach the quarterfinal.
There, she met her match as resurgent qualifier Anna Kalinskaya authored a major upset. Gauff had a wonderful opportunity to try to pursue the World No. 1 ranking because she stood to gain points in both Doha and Dubai, but early exits only lengthened her quest.
As she returns back to the United States, Gauff can look forward to March with optimism and hope. She will be among the contenders to lift the Indian Wells Open, which begins on March 6th. And here are three reasons why her recent dip in form can not be classified as a crisis.
3. Already A Champion In 2024
Gauff is one of nine women who have captured a WTA title this season. It is an exclusive club despite her struggles in the Middle East. In fact, she had quite possibly one of the best starts to the year – not just defending her title in Auckland but reaching the Australian Open semifinal for the first time.
2. One Of The Best Win-Loss Records For The Season
With two months of the season gone, Gauff is 12-3, which is an excellent return. In fact, before her defeat to Siniakova in Doha, she had never lost to a player ranked outside the world’s Top 10 since last year’s Wimbledon (lost to Sofia Kenin). And we know how she used that defeat to rekindle her season.
1. Room For Improvement
Gauff fell short of winning her last WTA title as a teenager in the Middle East (she will turn 20 on March 13th). But the awesome thing is that she is not a finished article and can still improve in many facets of her game.
In the off-season, she linked up with Andy Roddick to aid in her serving prowess. And she’s got a capable team comprised of celebrated American coach Brad Gilbert, whose work in making Gauff an elite player is evident.
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