Follow us on Google Discover Coco Gauff emerged victorious from the Wuhan Open last week, racing through the field to claim another Masters 1000 title.
Gauff was praised by Jessica Pegula after the American was beaten by her compatriot in a very entertaining final.
After a thrashing at the hands of Amanda Anisimova the week previous, Gauff showed tremendous mental strength to bounce back in the very next tournament and play so well.
Gauff has been hailed by Andy Roddick in the aftermath of her stunning victory, and it would appear that her performance levels have become a very big talking point.
Photo by Wang He/Getty ImagesRobbie Koenig thinks Coco Gauff has a hidden strength
After her win over Pegula in Wuhan, Rennae Stubbs admitted concerns still for certain aspects of Gauff on a tennis court, and that does seem largely unfair.
It feels like everyone spends time focusing on what Gauff can’t do as opposed to what she can, and this year she’s proved that when she’s in her top form, few can live with her.
Koenig has suggested that he, too, was too critical in the past and has spotted something that Gauff does that very often slips loosely under the radar.
He said on the Inside-In podcast: “She ran through the Wuhan draw, she drummed everybody, it was straight sets all the way through, she was that good. It’s almost like when she has a loss, she has that selective memory to just say, ‘Okay, tomorrow is a new day.’
“She’s quite an enigma to me with that stuff because I’m always going on about some of the technical deficiencies, but she constantly reminds me about the importance of grit, the importance of athleticism in any sport, and we can never undervalue that. The eye test is always looking for technical perfection, and sometimes we can neglect the stuff that we can’t always see and that stuff is important at the sharp end of any sport, and she’s got those in spades.
“It does beg the question, though, of when she’s playing those sorts of matches, the finals of 1000s and the finals of majors, where is that level going to be on that day?”
Coco Gauff achievements in 2025Australian Open – QFFrench Open – WWimbledon – R1US Open – R4Qatar Open – R2Dubai Open – R2Indian Wells – R4Miami Open – R4Madrid Open – FItalian Open – FCanadian Open – R4Cincinnati Open – QFChina Open – SFWuhan Open – W
Clearly, Gauff has had a bit of a mixed bag in 2025, but in winning a Grand Slam and a WTA 1000 event, there is enough to suggest she should be cut some slack.
Gauff has bounced back from adversity this year with aplomb and she’s found herself in the business stages of the vast majority of 1000 events.
Clearly, there are imperfections to work on – most notably her serve and forehand – but as Koenig quite rightly says, she has the best fighting qualities of any player on the tour and simply doesn’t know when she’s beaten.
Gauff is still only 21 and with that, she’s still learning with each passing year that she spends on the tour and puts time into honing her skills.
If Gauff can enjoy a sound off-season, iron out those imperfections and continue to work with her team, there is no reason why she can’t become the dominant force in 2026.