Coco Gauff Battles Imposter Syndrome, Trusts Her Authentic Tennis Skills
The Miami Open tunnel felt like a mirror for Coco Gauff on Tuesday. As an announcer read her résumé, Gauff absorbed the list of titles and milestones she has already achieved.
Career by the numbers
Gauff turned 22 this month. She is a two-time Grand Slam winner and a former world No. 2 now at No. 4. She has 11 career titles.
Her résumé also includes a WTA Finals crown and WTA 1000 victories in Cincinnati, Beijing and Wuhan. She ranks 11th on the women’s all-time prize money list, with more than $31 million.
Mental hurdles amid success
Despite the résumé, Gauff admits to grappling with impostor feelings. She described episodes of doubt during a news conference after her quarterfinal win.
Coaches have been reinforcing her identity as a top player. She says belief comes in waves, but she is trying to hold on to it more often.
Serve overhaul and form swings
Last June’s French Open title capped a strong clay season. She also reached the Madrid and Italian finals and rallied past Aryna Sabalenka in Paris.
After that peak, her serve faltered. She lost early at Wimbledon and later showed visible frustration at the U.S. Open due to serving issues.
Gauff enlisted Gavin MacMillan, a biomechanist who rebuilt Sabalenka’s serve, to work on her mechanics. Problems cited include toss consistency and posture through contact.
Miami Open journey
Gauff reached the semifinals after a tough quarterfinal against Belinda Bencic. She won 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 late Tuesday night.
She rallied in the third set by extending points and shifting from defense to offense. Bencic battled cramps during the match.
Gauff has won all four of her Miami matches in three sets. She will face Karolína Muchová in Thursday’s semifinal.
Semifinal opponent and matchup notes
Gauff is 5-0 against Muchová. Their most recent meeting came in three sets at January’s Australian Open.
Muchová has been efficient this year. She is 18-0 against opponents ranked outside the top three and won her first WTA 1000 title in Doha last month.
Courtcraft and small moments
Gauff has learned to trust fitness and grit in tight matches. She said outlasting an opponent has often decided key encounters.
She avoided certain shots in practice, but still hit a deciding drop shot on match point against Bencic. Earlier, a poor series of drops nearly cost her the fourth-round match against Sorana Cîrstea.
The wider context of doubt in tennis
Mental fragility has appeared across the sport this week. Iga Świątek spoke of “chaos” in her mind after an opening loss to Magda Linette.
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz lamented his form during a third-round defeat by Sebastian Korda. Commentator Jim Courier recently noted that doubt keeps players sharp.
At the Miami Open, Coco Gauff Battles Imposter Syndrome, Trusts Her Authentic Tennis Skills as she balances technical work and match play. She keeps reminding herself that results and the ball tell the truth.
