Gauff Explains Insanely High Error Count After Surviving Indian Wells Battle
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Coco Gauff didn't play a good match to start her 2025 Indian Wells Open campaign, but she was happy to get through.
Gauff came to Indian Wells on a three-match losing streak, and she wasn't very far from making it four in a row. The American player needed five match points to beat Moyuka Uchijima 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4), and at one point, she was only four points away from losing the match.
It wasn't an ideal match, it was actually very far from it, but the 2023 US Open champion managed to win, which counts at the end of the day.
She was aware of her struggles during the match, but when speaking during the post-match press conference, Gauff was also able to appreciate her opponent's qualities. Uchijima stunned Emma Raducanu in the opening round, and she didn't make it easy for the WTA World No. 3 either.
"It was a tough match. I didn't play as well as I would like to, but full credit to her. She stepped it up when she needed to. But just happy to get through it."
But it wasn't only the opponent who made this match challenging for Gauff. She made 21 double faults and 74 unforced errors while hitting only four aces and 37 winners.
The 20-year-old American made it very challenging for herself, and the court of her double faults and unforced errors stopped at such a high number that she was asked about it after the match.
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Gauff explained that she committed so many unforced errors mostly because she tried to be aggressive during the match. The 2024 WTA Finals champion wanted to avoid being dominated by her opponent.
When it comes to the double faults, Gauff suggested that it might have been related to her attempts to improve her serve, as she's been working on it in practice.
"I mean, the unforced errors, I had to go bigger towards the end of the match, and even in the middle, because I felt like she would dictate so it's kind of just take your chances. Then doubles, I've been in the practice of trying to fix things on my serve. I don't know."
Despite massively struggling, Gauff also saw the positive side of her struggles. She was able to win with what she called her "D tennis," which gives her confidence, knowing she can play much better.
"It was just an up-and-down process. It's tough out there. But, I mean, if I'm able to win matches playing kind of like D tennis, then it gives me confidence just when I'm able to mesh things together like I did earlier this season."
The American player might need to play much better if she wants to beat Maria Sakkari in the next round of the tournament.
