By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday Could 4, 2025
Coco Gauff had received eight consecutive WTA finals, and 10 of 11, previous to Saturday’s loss towards Aryna Sabalenka. The explanation for her success in high-stakes title matches?
“I hate shedding loads, and particularly in finals, as a result of it is such as you’re so shut,” Gauff mentioned. “I do prepare for these matches and, yeah, I credit score it to simply how a lot I hate shedding.”
Gauff: Only No.1 Matters
Saturday was completely different, nonetheless. Regardless of how badly Gauff needed one other massive win, she couldn’t serve her well beyond Aryna Sabalenka in Madrid. Secure to say Sabalenka, who now has three Madrid titles and 20 general, hates shedding, too.
Madrid Queen: Sabalenka Stops Gauff for Third Madrid Crown
Nonetheless, Gauff takes the positives from a much-needed run to the ultimate in Madrid, the place she rebounded after being bageled within the first set of her first match by Dayana Yastremska.
“I do not know, as we speak was robust, however clearly if I can lose this and go a number of extra finals undefeated I am going to take that,” the 21-year-old American mentioned. “Every time it is a studying expertise, and perhaps I wanted to really feel this loss once more to be motivated once more, much more motivated for the following one.”
Gauff didn’t like the way in which she served within the closing, and he or she felt it was the most important issue within the loss.
thanks madrid❤️
not the end result I hoped for as we speak however loads to be happy with. leaving right here with my head up and extra motivation to work even tougher to do higher subsequent time🙏🏾 #Godstiming pic.twitter.com/h4ieLgM3oD
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) May 3, 2025
“My first serve share wasn’t nice as we speak, so I feel if I had a greater first serve share it might have been a greater match, or at the very least a greater end in that first and second set. My first serve has been such a weapon this week, so I simply want I might have served higher as we speak.”
Nonetheless, the American goes to Rome with plenty of confidence in her rebounding type, and starvation to take the following step.
“There’s plenty of positives to take, and I feel particularly coming perhaps from the previous few weeks the place I did not really feel as assured on the bottom, I feel it’s a step in the best route, and simply making an attempt to have a look at the positives of all of it. I do not like shedding, first closing loss for the reason that French Open, so it is a feeling that I do know I do not like.”
