Belinda Bencic has put aside her rivalry to support Coco Gauff, defending the two-time Grand Slam champion against the negative discourse surrounding her game. The duo recently locked horns at the 2026 Miami Open, where Gauff claimed a hard-fought 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory on her way to a runner-up finish at the event. With the clash fresh in her mind, Bencic shared a candid assessment of the American’s game and called out her critics.
Belinda Bencic Defends Coco Gauff Against Criticism
Following her quarterfinal finish at the WTA 1000 event in Miami, Bencic has arrived at the Charleston Open to kick off her clay season. Speaking to Christian’s Court ahead of her opening match, the Swiss opened up about what made Coco Gauff such a challenging opponent, highlighting her exceptional agility and court coverage.
“Yes, I think she’s very tough as well. I mean, we had some great matches every time we played and it’s really admirable how she moves. You definitely feel like the court is much smaller. I like to attack, of course, and she makes it very hard. She makes you overplay balls in the end,” Bencic said.
Bencic also pointed to Gauff’s serve as a significant weapon, countering the criticism it received. She emphasized that the American shouldn’t have to face “negative comments” about her game and praised her unique playing style.
“And of course, her serve is also very tough. I know she gets a lot of comments and this and that but her serve is very good. And it’s very fast when she puts it in. Of course, sometimes you can have some problems with the rhythm and everything, but I don’t think she should get so much negative comments because her game is very unique and very different rhythm and change of speed and spins and really can play anywhere on the court. And also she’s moving great so obviously she’s a very deserved No. 3, No. 4 in the world,” she added.
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Gauff has been battling persistent struggles with her serve over the past couple of years, finishing both the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the highest number of double faults on the WTA Tour. In an effort to address the issue, she added biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan to her team in August last year.
Although she lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the Miami Open final, the World No. 3 expressed satisfaction with her improved serving performance during the tournament. However, she also admitted it was difficult to avoid falling back on old habits.
“I think this week was better with the serve, for sure, a lot less double faults than before. And obviously I held a lot of the games today in my previous matches too. But I think the hardest part is not faltering back to something that you have done for six years, seven years, probably me my whole life, and trying to not falter back onto old habits,” Coco Gauff said in a Miami Open press conference.
Coco Gauff will be back in action at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, scheduled to kick off on April 13. Meanwhile, Belinda Bencic will take on Dayana Yastremska in her opening match at the Charleston Open following a first-round bye.
