Coco Gauff’s Miami Open campaign ended just short of the title, but her biggest takeaway had little to do with the final scoreline. After pushing Aryna Sabalenka to three sets in the championship match, the world No. 4 revealed that her deep run was fueled by a personal mission.
She wanted to prove her own team wrong after they advised her not to play. In the aftermath of the final, Gauff reflected on how that internal motivation reshaped her mindset and helped her navigate a physically and mentally demanding week.
Coco Gauff Defied Her Team to Compete in Miami
Gauff entered the tournament dealing with a nerve issue in her left arm, an injury that had forced her to retire during her third-round match at Indian Wells. Her team urged caution and preferred that she skip Miami altogether. Instead, Gauff chose to compete, leaning into the advantage of playing close to home.
What followed was a string of gritty performances, including three-set wins over Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Alycia Parks, and Sorana Cîrstea, before she defeated Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals and dominated Karolína Muchová in the semifinals. She ultimately fell 2-6, 6-4, 3-6 to Sabalenka, who took a 7-6 lead in their head-to-head.
How Proving Her Team Wrong Motivated Coco Gauff
Speaking in a press conference after the final, Gauff made it clear that her team’s initial hesitation was not rooted in doubt about her ability, but concern for her well-being. “I don’t think they’re necessarily shocked,” she said.
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“I think they know when I’m in the right mindset, I can do a lot of things. I just wasn’t in the right mindset leaving Indian Wells, so I think they were more protective of me, more so just making sure I didn’t lose myself in the sport, and that’s why they wanted the break.”
She admitted that defying that advice became a powerful motivator. “I’m a driven person, and I just wanted to play,” she explained.
“I live close, so I feel like if this was in Europe somewhere, then I probably wouldn’t have shown up. But this is in Miami, so I just was like, you know, worst case, if I lose, it’s a 45-minute drive home versus flying. And also I’m saving money, I’m not paying for a hotel, not paying for a hotel for my team, anything.”
That practical mindset helped free her mentally. Gauff said she felt she had little to lose and was motivated to prove her team wrong, which kept her positive and helped her quickly shake off any negative moments.
