Coco Gauff, despite a 2024 season that hasn`t fully met her expectations after a strong 9-0 start, experienced a `great day` at the Miami Open on Thursday.
In a dominant display, the third-seeded Gauff swept aside fellow American Sofia Kenin in just 47 minutes, winning 6-0, 6-0. This victory marks the second double bagel of Gauff`s career, mirroring her win against Arantxa Rus in Madrid last year. This strong start sets the tone for her home tournament.
Gauff has openly discussed how her first-round loss at Wimbledon two summers ago served as a turning point in her career. It spurred her journey to her first Grand Slam title at the US Open later that year. Her record against Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, is now 2-0 since that Wimbledon defeat, including another win earlier this year in Melbourne.
Reflecting on the recent fluctuations in her performance over the last couple of months, Gauff, currently ranked No. 3 in the world and with a 3-4 record in her last seven matches, emphasized her ability to quickly move past both wins and losses.
Gauff acknowledged her strong play and suggested that Kenin might not have been at her peak form. She stated that such a scoreline is unlikely when a player is performing at their best. Gauff believes the result was a combination of her excellent play and Kenin`s off day.
For Gauff, this win highlights the beauty of tennis – each match is a fresh start and a chance to perform well.
In the match, Gauff hit 13 winners with only three unforced errors and just two double faults. Her serve, which has been inconsistent in recent weeks, including 21 double faults in her previous win against Moyuka Uchijima in Indian Wells, was more controlled in this match.
Gauff admitted her season hasn`t consistently met her personal standards, but with the season extending until November, she sees plenty of time for improvement. She reiterated that her focus was solely on having a great day on the court, which she successfully achieved.
Gauff, whose best Miami Open result is the fourth round, is set to face No. 28 seed Maria Sakkari in the third round. This will be their second consecutive tournament meeting, with Gauff winning their recent match in Indian Wells in two close sets.
Rupert Caldwell