Coco Gauff reveals her mindset was to stay positive and optimistic against Iga Swiatek and it ultimately worked out well as she has a 2-0 record at the WTA Finals and a semifinal ticket booked.
On Tuesday, the top-ranked American female tennis player ended her four-match losing streak against the Pole and registered just her second win in their head-to-head after collecting a 6-3 6-4 victory at the WTA Finals.
Going into the match, the Polish five-time Grand Slam winner held a dominant 11-1 head-to-head record. But this was just her first tournament in two months, while Gauff recently won her second WTA 1000 title in Beijing. And the 20-year-old had all the reasons to feel confident in her chances.
“It feels great. I knew going into it despite our head-to-head I had a lot of confidence. I felt like I was playing great tennis. Even when I was playing a bit sloppy, the games I lost were still going to deuce. They gave me confidence. I knew if I could stay solid, I’d have the chance to close out the match,” the 2023 US Open champion reflected.
Coco Gauff© WTA Finals Riyadh/Instagram – Fair Use
Gauff knew her moment would come
In the third game of the first set, the world No. 3 missed out on three break points in the third game. But she kept playing her game and managed to win the opener after earning back-to-back breaks in the seventh and ninth games.
In the second set, Gauff was twice down by a break as Swiatek led 4-3 at one point and was serving. The American responded with two consecutive breaks and got the job done in straight sets.
“From the ground and return of serve. The first set I had like three straight games in a row with break points. I didn’t let it discourage me. I knew I’d get it eventually. Even In the last game I missed two forehand returns in the net and I told myself ‘it’s ok I’ll get the next one’ and I did,” the 20-year-old said.
On Thursday, Gauff faces Barbora Krejcikova, who has a 1-1 record.