Coco Gauff has been on a bit of a rollercoaster ride in 2025. Having entered the season with the WTA Finals title under her belt, she kept the momentum going at the United Cup, where she led Team USA to the second consecutive title. But soon, the fortunes changed, and her form dipped after a QF exit from the Australian Open. What made it even worse was two back-to-back losses at the Qatar Open and then Dubai Tennis Championships. But the World No.3 seems to be regaining her momentum at the Indian Wells, where she’s made her way to the Round of 16 now. While she’s shining in the Californian desert, Gauff is totally aware the road ahead is not easy.
Following three successive defeats in the past three events, Gauff entered the BNP Paribas Open last week against Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima. Although the 2023 US Open Winner overcame her, it wasn’t without a fight. Uchijima really pushed Gauff to the limits, taking the match into a decider before the American closed the score line 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4). “It wasn’t my best tennis at all today,” the 20-year-old said about her overall performance. A crucial thing to note with Uchijima was that she targeted Gauff’s forehand a lot. Why? Well, there lies the weakness. Maybe?
In the previous event she participated in, which was the Dubai Tennis Championships, Gauff was ousted by compatriot McCartney Kessler, who also tried to exploit her forehand. Out of the 42 unforced errors Gauff made in that match, 34 were forehand-unforced errors.
Even during the R32 match of Indian Wells on Monday, against Maria Sakkari, Gauff faced a similar situation. Sakkari tried to take advantage of her forehand by hitting more shots on that side. Ultimately, though, the 2024 WTA Finals winner managed to secure victory over Sakkari, avenging the loss in the semifinal of the Indian Wells last season. After making her way into the pre-quarters, Gauff sat down for a presser, dated March 10. When asked about the situation regarding her forehand and how her opponents consistently look to exploit it, Coco confessed, “Yeah, I mean, obviously that’s the game plan against me.”
WUHAN, CHINA – OCTOBER 12: Coco Gauff of United States competes in the Women s Singles Semifinal match against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus on day eight of 2024 Wuhan Open at Optics Valley International Tennis Center on October 12, 2024 in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China. PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN Copyright: xVCGx 111523399024
However, she emphasized that her forehand is not her weakness at all. If anything, it’s one of her strengths – if she gets the right ball. “I think people just don’t feel comfortable necessarily just putting a ball there. If I get a neutral ball, especially on that end of the court. On these courts, I try to be aggressive with it,” she added. When told about Uchijima’s reaction, who felt ‘trapped’ due to her aggressive forehand strokes, Gauff replied, “I’m glad to kind of hear my opponent felt trapped on that (smiling).”
Who is Gauff up against next in her bid to secure a quarterfinal berth?
Coco Gauff to get a rematch of Australian Open fourth round in Indian Wells
Remember that the R16 encounter from January in Melbourne, when Coco Gauff faced Belinda Bencic? The Swiss pro, who made a return last year after giving birth to her daughter in April 2024, put up a great fight. She forced the match to go into a decider before eventually losing 7-5, 2-6, 1-6. Guess what? Fans at the BNP Paribas Open will now get a rematch, as Gauff and Bencic will meet once again in the upcoming fourth encounter on Wednesday.
Gauff, who’s the first American since Venus Williams (2017-2019) to make R16 of Indian Wells in three successive seasons and youngest since Serena Williams (1999-2001), has got an edge over Bencic. In the head-to-head tally, she’s currently leading 2-1 over the World No.58, but one can’t underestimate Bencic at all, given her dominating performance last month. After facing an exit down under, she regained her form to clinch the Abu Dhabi Open title. Following her victory over defending champion Elena Rybakina in the SF round, Bencic went past the American Ashlyn Krueger in a three-setter by 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 to clinch the title.
Bencic’s last appearance at the Dubai Tennis Championships wasn’t fruitful, though. Emma Navarro ousted her in R32 with a score line of 7-6(8), 2-6, 6-3. But the tennis mom has got her winning momentum back at the Indian Wells. In the first round, she overcame Germany’s Tatjana Maria before beating Amanda Anisimova and Diana Shnaider in R64 and R32, respectively.
It will be intriguing to see if Bencic avenges her fourth round defeat at the Australian Open against Coco Gauff. Who do you think will emerge as the winner? Let us know in the comments below.
The post “My Opponent Felt Trapped”: Coco Gauff Relishes Her Strength Over Rivals While Unpacking Her Game Plan appeared first on EssentiallySports.