Coco Gauff, one of America’s most celebrated sports personalities, suffered an unexpected defeat at the Miami Open, losing 6-4, 6-4 to Magda Linette. This defeat crushed Gauff’s aspirations of clinching the Miami Open title, as her performance was plagued by serving mishaps and a series of unforced errors.
In this match, Gauff’s performance was notably subpar, with 12 double faults and 45 unforced errors marring her game. Gauff herself admitted, “It wasn’t great today,” acknowledging that her performance hadn’t been up to mark over the past few weeks. She voiced her discontent at her own performance, confessing that she “felt awful in everything on the court.”
Despite an unsteady serve that led to her defeat at last year’s US Open, Gauff has enjoyed a string of victories, including a triumphant performance at the WTA Finals that marked a splendid conclusion to her 2024 season. However, her serving woes persist and have become a point of concern, as demonstrated in her game against 33-year-old Linette, where she gave away too many free points.
Linette, currently ranked 34th globally, managed to break Gauff’s serve four times while maintaining her own, leading to a well-deserved victory. “It’s a massive achievement for me to beat Coco,” Linette said, acknowledging Gauff’s resilience even during her off days. She attributed her victory to her strong return game and the pressure she could exert on Gauff.
Linette, who hails from Poland, is set to face Jasmine Paolini in the next round. She has a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head matchups, including a noteworthy victory at the Olympic Games last year.
Meanwhile, Gauff, the World No. 3, has some soul-searching to do. Despite being just 21, she’s already a Grand Slam champion and carries a significant weight of expectations. Her 2025 season started on a high note with a winning streak at the United Cup and a quarter-final berth at the Australian Open. However, her recent form has been cause for concern, with a few first round exits and an unexpected loss to Belinda Bencic at Indian Wells.
Gauff’s recent loss to Linette, who she would usually expect to defeat, poses a potential threat to her World No. 3 ranking. Her inconsistency, particularly with her serve, could see her slide down the ranks if not rectified soon. Despite showcasing a powerful game, Gauff needs to find consistency to compete for the biggest titles in tennis.
