Coco Gauff offered a candid assessment of her loss to Aryna Sabalenka at the 2026 Miami Open, firmly rejecting the idea that nerves played a role while noting she “gave away too many free points” during the match. With the victory, Sabalenka completed a rare Sunshine Double and edged ahead 7-6 in her head-to-head against the American.
Coco Gauff Discusses Miami Open Loss and ‘Free Points’ Against Aryna Sabalenka
The Belarusian seized control from the outset, breaking immediately with a sharply angled backhand. Her dominance continued thereafter as she secured the first set 6-2. The second set saw Gauff mount a strong comeback, saving three break points at 3-3 before turning the tide. She secured a crucial break a few games later and closed out the set 6-4 to force a decider.
Despite serving well in the decider, Gauff couldn’t keep pace with Sabalenka’s intensity. The world No. 1 won 74% of first-serve points and 61% on her second, and yet again, an early break helped her set the tone.
Sabalenka held her serve and raced to a 2-0 lead before producing another forehand winner at a pivotal moment late in the set. She then sealed the contest with one final break and became the first woman to complete the Sunshine Double since Iga Świątek in 2022.
Meanwhile, the local favorite Gauff had to settle for the runner-up trophy despite navigating through a tough draw en route to the final. During her post-match press conference, Coco Gauff said she did not feel nervous and said she is still some way off her peak level.
“I wasn’t really nervous, honestly, to start the match. I haven’t been nervous really all week except the first round. Just, when you make a final, you’re not expecting it. It wasn’t any nerves involved. I feel like I am nowhere near my peak of my tennis. So, I think it gives me comfort a little bit playing these tournaments and having great results,” she said.
Gauff later acknowledged clear areas for improvement, particularly her serve, after double faults proved costly. Moreover, her focus remained on breaking back rather than dwelling on mistakes.
“And I can see clearly where I can improve on and do a lot better with and even just something with the serve, you know, that game I doubled it twice, I think. And just knowing that the more comfortable I get with it, those three points won’t happen. And no, it wasn’t something I was thinking about in the last game. Honestly, I was focused on breaking back,” she added.
The American reiterated that she conceded some free points, which she believes is an area she can improve.
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“So I wasn’t thinking about it the whole match until it was over. And I’m just like ‘Okay, that’s something that I can improve on.’ Because I felt like, yes she earned the game, but I felt like I gave away some free points too in that game,” she said.
With the hard-court swing wrapped up, Gauff now turns her attention to the clay season, where she enjoyed a dominant run last year. The American reached back-to-back finals in Madrid and Rome before overcoming Aryna Sabalenka to claim the French Open title. Notably, the two-time Grand Slam champion has risen to No. 3 in the WTA live rankings, and that could boost her confidence going forward.
