Coco Gauff’s 2026 Australian Open campaign started on a positive note, but the American knows the challenge only gets harder from here. After a straight-sets win over Kamilla Rakhimova, Gauff shared how a practice session with Alexandra Eala could help her in her next match.
Coco Gauff Reveals How Alexandra Eala Gives Her an Edge in Her Next Australian Open Match
Gauff began her tournament with a 6–2, 6–3 win over Rakhimova. She mostly relied on her defense and controlled shot choices. While her serve was still inconsistent at times, the third seed handled most of the rallies quite well.
The victory keeps her first Australian Open title dreams alive. Next up for Gauff is left-hander Olga Danilović, who knocked out Venus Williams in the opening round. As left-handed players are quite rare on tour, preparation and strategy against them become more crucial, and that’s where Alexandra Eala comes in.
“I did practice with Alex Eala earlier, so hopefully that practice will help me in tomorrow’s match playing with a lefty,” Gauff said after the match. “There’s not many on tour, but like you said Olga is a great player. She’s beat some top players, especially at this tournament. So, it’s gonna be a tough match, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Gauff and Eala’s friendship started in an unusual way. Last year, the Filipina messaged Gauff on Instagram to ask if she wanted to play doubles at the Italian Open. Even though they barely knew each other, the partnership quickly clicked, and the duo went up to the quarterfinals in the tournament.
Gauff Mentioned the Reason Behind Her Inconsistency
Before the 2026 Australian Open began, Gauff spoke honestly about the ongoing inconsistency in her game. Even though she is already one of the top players currently, the American believes her age is a big reason her results differ from week to week.
The World No. 3 will turn 22 on March 13 this year, and she had a season of highs and lows in 2025. She reached finals in Madrid and Rome and won the French Open, but then suffered a surprise first-round loss at Wimbledon and struggled during the North American hard-court stretch. Her US Open run ended in the fourth round.
However, Gauff managed to win the Wuhan Open and has carried that momentum into 2026. She beat Iga Świątek at the United Cup and went 3–1 at the team event.
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When asked about her inconsistency during her pre-tournament press conference in Melbourne, Gauff answered, “It definitely is a goal to be more consistent. For me I look at it as life. They’re 25, 26. In most areas of life, a 25 -year-old or 26-year-old is more consistent than a 21-year-old.”
She also mentioned the issue with her serve. “I think more of that stemmed from my serve and having really good days and really bad days. I think the more that stroke becomes more consistent, the more my results will become more consistent,” the 21-year-old explained.
