Coco Gauff recently shared her honest thoughts on in-match coaching, admitting she isn’t a fan of excessive guidance from the sidelines, even as she credited her coach for a timely tip during her dramatic Italian Open victory.
Two years ago at Wimbledon, a visibly frustrated Gauff shouted at her camp for advice while trailing Emma Navarro. Now, the 22-year-old’s perspective has shifted significantly. After rallying from match point down to beat Iva Jovic in the Round of 16 in Rome, Gauff revealed that while she appreciated her coach’s input, she prefers minimal mid-match instruction.
“I’m not a player who gets long talks from her coach very often,” Gauff said. “At that moment I felt that he gave me good advice. It was nothing tactical or very complex. Sometimes, when you have your head all over the place, you simply need to be reminded of the things you need to stay focused on in those moments of panic. It was more of a reaffirmation.”
The match saw Gauff drop the first set 5-7 and fall behind 3-5, 30-40 in the second. Yet she saved match point, broke Jovic twice, and forced a deciding set before sealing a 6-2 third-set win. Reflecting on her composure, Gauff credited Jovic’s dip in level and recalled a similar escape against Elise Mertens in Dubai earlier this year.
“Honestly, on that match point my head was almost in the locker room. I thought, ‘Well, I’m going to hear a lot about this match.’ Then, somehow, I pulled through. I think she lowered the level a little bit when she had an advantage, and that helped me get back into the match. I actually thought about my game in Dubai, when I saved five or six match points against Mertens. I said to myself, ‘Maybe I can do it again today,'” she said in the post-match press conference.
Many pointed to Jovic’s medical timeout for a blister on her finger at 5-4 in the second set as a turning point. The 20-year-old struggled with her grip afterward, committing unforced errors that allowed Gauff to storm back.
Despite the win, Gauff acknowledged she needs to improve her closing ability. “Honestly the starts have been fine. My first round I was up a break. Today I was up a break in the first. I think I was up 3-1, 30-Love, too. I think for me it’s more focusing on staying on top of the opponent when I do have the lead in the first set. It’s a learning experience. I’m not disappointed. I played two quality opponents, Iva being top 20. I’m not Jannik. I’m going to lose some sets. Obviously, the goal is to continue to close out the first sets so I don’t have to go three hours on the court,” she added.
Next up for Gauff in the quarterfinals is in-form Mirra Andreeva, who breezed past Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-3. The 19-year-old Russian boasts a 15-2 record on clay this season, including titles and deep runs in Stuttgart and Madrid. However, Gauff holds a 4-0 head-to-head lead over Andreeva, with their last meeting coming in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Italian Open, where Gauff won 6-4, 7-6 before falling to Jasmine Paolini in the final.
Will the world No. 4 extend her dominance, or will Andreeva’s hot streak finally break through? All eyes are on Rome for what promises to be a thrilling clash.
