Coco Gauff overcame Solana Sierra in a tense third-round match at the Italian Open. Afterward, the American spoke about feeling a lack of motivation and frustration during a tough outing in Rome.
Gauff had to come from behind to defeat Sierra. She lost the first set, bounced back in the second in emphatic fashion, and came from a double break down in the third to claim a 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 victory.
Coco Gauff Admits to Lack of Motivation and Off-Court Issues After Italian Open Win
After defeating Sierra and securing her place in the fourth round of the Italian Open, Gauff spoke about how off-the-court issues and a lack of motivation affected her performance.
“A tough day for me. It’s one of those days where you don’t feel great and you have to play a match. I just didn’t feel I guess motivated to go on the court. Then when you’re on the court, you’re motivated. You get too frustrated,” she said during her post-match press conference.
Asked whether the issue was physical or mental, she said she was “going through” some things off the court.
“Just personal things off court that I’m just trying to get through. But then you also remember how much fun you have. I think my regret today was not enjoying the battle, for sure,” she said.
“I’ve been going through it for a few months. I mean, good days and bad days… No one’s going to know. I’m not going to talk about it. I am trying to be transparent but also not, like, give the whole world my business, too,” she added.
Gauff’s comments come amid reports of her breakup with her boyfriend, Jalen Sera. While the 22-year-old has not commented on her relationship in recent months, she and her family recently stopped following him on Instagram. They first started dating in November 2023.
Amid reports of a breakup, Gauff remains one of the top performers on the WTA Tour. She made the final at the Miami Open, the quarterfinals in Stuttgart, and the fourth round at the Madrid Open.
Gauff has made a strong start to her Italian Open campaign, defeating Tereza Valentová in the second round before overcoming Sierra in the third. Next up for her is a fourth-round clash against Iva Jovic or Taylor Townsend. She made the final at the Italian Open last year and will be determined to go one better this time around.
