Third-ranked Coco Gauff defeated Clara Burel 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the second round of the BNA Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, on Saturday. Gauff was down one set and behind 4-0 in the third set. Despite double faulting 10 times, she came through with the victory. She won five out of her seven break points. In a comeback match, it’s crucial to get as many breakpoints as possible.
Coco Gauff: Incredible Mental Toughness
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Gauff rallies from being down 2-5 in the third and fights her way into the next round defeating Burel 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(4). #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/QpXKiU78Gw
— wta (@WTA) March 9, 2024
Having this big deficit and still coming out with the win shows extreme mental toughness by the young Florida native. A lot of players, when they are down by that much, lose their confidence and continue to flounder, not Coco Gauff. She battled back like it was nothing. Watching from high up in Stadium 1, it seemed like Gauff tied the setup at five in no time. The top-ranked American woman is now 13-3 in 2024. If she was in the NFL, she would be in terrific shape for the playoffs.
Natural. Born. Competitor.
Coco Gauff recovers from 0-4 and 2-5 down in the decider to beat Clara Burel in a third set tie-break in Indian Wells.
Didn’t play well, but got the job done. One of her trademarks.
— The Tennis Podcast (@TennisPodcast) March 9, 2024
Once Coco Gauff got in the driver’s seat, Burel got timid, regularly pushing shots instead of hitting more aggressively. Burel was playing not to lose instead of playing to win, never what you want to do. Once Coco got going, she never looked back. Even when she was down 5-2 and 6-5 in the third set, she never wavered.
Coco Gauff becomes the first teenager to win 50 matches at WTA 1000 level.
Star girl. ???? pic.twitter.com/kBDOiwIBNq
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) March 9, 2024
In a post-match interview, Coco Gauff said,
“It wasn’t my best tennis, but it’s not about how you show up on your good days, it’s how you show up on your bad ones. I’m happy with how I showed up today.”
Coco Gauff has now won 17 straight matches in the United States. She has gotten off to a good but nerve-wracking start to Indian Wells, known as the fifth major. Being on-site there today, it certainly feels like a major given the crowds and the size of the biggest courts. Stadium 1 can fit 16,100 people, the second highest capacity for a tennis court in the world behind Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows Park, where the US Open is played.
Coco Gauff’s recent major victories include winning the US Open against Aryna Sabalenka in September 2023, her first but likely not last major title.
Keys For Coco Gauff Going Forward
In the upcoming rounds at Indian Wells, it will be helpful if Coco doesn’t have to undertake these types of comebacks. It might not work as well with higher-level opponents such as Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, or possibly newly returned two-time grand slam winner Simona Halep. More solid and consistent tennis will be needed from the 19-year-old then. It’s not every day a player can just erase a four-game lead like that.
Coco Gauff will play Italian Lucia Bronzetti next in the third round on Monday.
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Cooper Sherman is an avid NFL fan and enjoys watching and covering it the most. The NFL is king. He previously wrote and was a podcaster for the online publications Pro Sports Fanatics and Jersey Column. He is also an NBA fan and watches it occasionally, more when the NFL season ends. Tennis is also an underrated sport to watch. His teams are the Patriots and Celtics, as tough as it is to be a Patriots fan right now. He is optimistic that Jerod Mayo will turn this team in the right direction! Follow him on Instagram and Threads @coopstershermy456, and X/Twitter @justcoopthings.
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