Coco Gauff continues her difficult start to the season after a fourth-round exit from Indian Wells. Following an unexpected fourth-round exit at the competition, Gauff is approaching a tough stretch of her season. The World No.3, who had ended the season with the WTA Finals title, found maintaining momentum difficult and showed no progression.
The turning point arrived in her match against Belinda Bencic when Gauff could not finish the game despite having a 40-0 lead at 4-4 in the deciding set. The young American confessed her lack of usual quality in response to this loss, which has started her to doubt. This setback has brought into question her present state, given a strong beginning to 2025 and an outstanding end to 2024.
Ending the 2024 season strongly, Coco Gauff won a WTA 1000 championship in Beijing and the coveted WTA Finals title in Riyadh. Given her momentum, she came into 2025 as a strong competitor, thereby further increasing her self-esteem by helping Team USA win the United Cup. During this run, she beat Iga Swiatek, showing she could compete against top-rated opponents.
Despite starting the season well, she did not constantly win in top-level single events. She made it to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. After this, dual early exits in Doha and Dubai indicated a drop in her form. Despite two victories over Moyuka Uchijima and Maria Sakkari, she was finally stopped in a closely fought three-set match by Belinda Bencic in Indian Wells.
Coco Gauff has particularly been concentrating on her second serve in several respects. Although she has spent time perfecting this area of her game, her match results have not changed. Particularly when she is ahead in a game, she has recognized the need to be more forceful with her serving. In her last match against Maria Sakkari, she committed an astonishing 21 double faults.
Describing it as the deciding moment of the contest, Belinda Bencic later emphasized the value of the 4-4 game in the last set. Gauff seemed nervous, although she had the edge, according to Bencic, therefore exploiting her competitor’s delay. She also noted that aiming at Gauff’s forehand helped to turn the tide in her direction.
Despite a 6-4 win-loss record for the year, Coco Gauff remains positive despite her most recent setback. She has brushed off worries about increasing stress and thinks she can reverse everything. The 21-year-old is still resolved to recapture her top form and excel in upcoming contests. She is yet to win a title in the season with the only silver lining coming at the United Cup earlier this year.
Her career has been partly defined by her resiliency and steady recovery from defeats. Given her strong work ethic and capacity to learn from defeats, Gauff will surely seek to polish her game and make the needed modifications in the next few weeks. She will now head to Miami, where she hopes to recapture the form that made her the WTA Finals champion last year.
In Indian Wells, Coco Gauff’s early exit has hampered her 2025 season even more. Though her present difficulties are clear, her form at the end of last season and fighting attitude indicate she can rebound even stronger. Gauff will be anxious to regain her winning form in the next events with a determined attitude. Her next tournament will be the Miami masters.
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