When it comes to tennis, there’s more than just the challenge of winning. Players must adjust to the courts and whatever each tournament brings. Coco Gauff knows that well now. She’s been on the pro tour for nearly seven years, winning major titles on hard court and clay. Tennis moves around the globe and across surfaces with the season—hard courts to clay, to grass, then back to hard. And every venue has its own challenges, from the court conditions to the equipment. This time in Cincinnati, Coco has noticed a few things about the renovated stadium.
On Thursday, the American No.1 scored a 6-2, 6-4 win over Lucia Bronzetti to reach the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals. That’s a sharp turnaround after her last three tournaments, where she suffered early exits, including Wimbledon, which left her crushed. Her game still wasn’t perfect, but it got the job done.
The 21-year-old visibly struggled during the match and revealed afterward that it was the court that made things tough. In her post-match interview, she said, “For the most part I played aggressive. Maybe got a bit passive in some of those games. But it’s tough. The balls are super light and they fly. She wasn’t giving me much pace. I was trying to play with control but also aggressive. For the most part I think I did well. I had chances in a couple of those games. I missed a couple balls. But I learned from it and was able to close it out.” But did she really?
Coco Gauff after beating Bronzetti to reach 2nd Cincinnati QF
“For the most part I played aggressive. Maybe got a bit passive in some of those games. But it’s tough. The balls are super light and they fly. She wasn’t giving me much pace. I was trying to play with control but… pic.twitter.com/7JIZGzl1Wd
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 14, 2025
For the most part, yes. Coco Gauff stumbled early in the fifth game, but it was just a hiccup. She stormed through the rest to pocket the first set in 33 minutes. In the second, she jumped to a 2-0 lead, then slipped again—broken to love by Bronzetti.
The Italian pushed hard and earned a break point at 2-2, only to send her backhand return long. From there, it stayed tight until Bronzetti double-faulted twice while serving to stay alive. Gauff broke and wrapped up the win in 79 minutes.
And on the tennis balls? The 2023 US Open champion isn’t the first to point it out. Over on the ATP side, World No.1 Jannik Sinner made the same observation ahead of the tournament. In an interview with Tennis TV, Sinner said: “From my point of view, the tennis balls are getting smaller. The more you play, the smaller they get. That is very strange because usually they open up and get slower, but here they get actually faster.” That’s on top of the heat wave that had players struggling in the earlier rounds.
This time, however, Coco looked locked in to take the win. She came into the R16 after her previous opponent, Dayana Yastremska, withdrew before the match. That left her a little more rested. And now, she’s speaking out about the conditions and the tournament’s transformation this year.
Coco Gauff praises the Cincinnati Open’s new venue
The No. 2 seed opened her Cincinnati campaign in style, delivering a clean, no-fuss performance against Wang Xinyu. In just 70 minutes, she dismantled her opponent 6-3, 6-2, barely breaking a sweat. Calm and composed on court, she was all business. But the real spark came afterward, in the press room, she spoke about the tournament’s sweeping makeover and zeroed in on the upgrade that had stolen her heart.
“It’s been really cool. Literally, when I talked to you guys last time, I had got out of the car and came straight to the press conference room. So, I’ve now been able to explore it. Yeah, I said on the tennis channel, my favorite is like the unlimited food,” she laughed. The transformation began almost the moment last year’s event ended.
Just days before the tournament kicked off, the Lindner Family Tennis Center was a construction zone, fueled by major investment from the City of Mason, Warren County, and the State of Ohio. In just 328 days, it doubled in size to more than 40 acres — turning into a playground for both fans and players.
Where there was once a vast parking lot with trailers for credentials, stringing, and logistics, now stands The Clubhouse, a massive 56,000-square-foot hub built for tennis warriors. Gauff had explored it for the first time and lit up when talking about it. “I just, and they had that here before, but I don’t know, just having acai bowls and smoothies and all of that has been cool, but also just the space and the facilities here are great. Like just having space to be alone. I feel like a lot of times these tournaments, we see each other all the time.” For her, Cincinnati has cracked a code many events overlook — giving players a little breathing room.
And now, after breezing into the quarterfinals for the first time since the French Open, the 2023 US Open champion looks ready to keep her foot on the gas. The only question left is, can she sustain this momentum despite the much-talked-about changes to the balls? What do you think? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
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