On Saturday in Rome, Coco Gauff took her personal problems on the court with her. Whatever they might have been, they weren’t big enough to keep her from digging out a quintessential victory against Solana Sierra of Argentina of Argentina.
Gauff, the 2025 runner-up at the Foro Italico, struggled and was visibly unhappy at times, but eventually course corrected and moved past the promising Argentinian, 5-7 6-0 6-4.
After the victory, which put her in the round of 16 in Rome and improved her overall record at the event to 19-6, Gauff was frank in discussion.
“It was a tough day for me,” she said. “One of those days I just didn’t feel motivated to go on the court. Then when you’re on the court, you’re motivated. You get too frustrated.”
Asked if her struggles were physical or mental, Gauff said:
“No, mental. Just personal things off court that I’m just trying to get through, but then you also remember how much fun you have. I think my regret today was not enjoying the battle, for sure.”
“I’ve been going through it for a few months. I mean, good days and bad days, yeah.”
Gauff later admitted that she prides herself on being transparent in her press conferences, but that she wasn’t willing to give specific details on her struggles. A personal choice, she said.
“It’s difficult because I do like being transparent in the press,” she said. “I’m sure you guys maybe got that sense from me. I think it’s important, too, because then you’re going to be asked about it, you might be fine. Then you’re going to be asked about it and I don’t want to talk about that right now.
“It’s one of those things I want to be transparent and vulnerable, I want people to know we show up when we’re not always 100 percent perfect. It’s a fine balance. My on-court stuff I like to talk about and be vulnerable about. Off court, just depends on the topic, really.”
The third seed will face either Iva Jovic or Taylor Townsend in the round of 16.