Coco Gauff Falls To Elina Svitolina At Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

Sometimes in sports, you can do everything right and still come up short. That’s exactly what happened to Coco Gauff on Friday night in Dubai, where she battled for over three grueling hours against Elina Svitolina, only to walk away empty-handed after a 6-4, 6-7 (13), 6-4 defeat.

This wasn’t just any loss. This was the kind of match that leaves you emotionally drained just watching it—the kind where both players leave everything on the court, and somehow, you still feel like the tennis gods were a little cruel in deciding who deserved to win.

A Marathon Tiebreak That Defied Logic

Svitolina had four match points. Most players would’ve folded right there. Pack it up, head to the showers, maybe grab some room service, and call it a night. But Gauff isn’t like most players. The 20-year-old American clawed her way back from the brink, saving all four match points with the kind of gutsy shot-making that makes you jump off your couch. She eventually converted her seventh set point to win the tiebreak 15-13 and force a deciding third set.

For a moment there, it felt like the momentum had completely swung in Gauff’s favor. The crowd was electric. Svitolina looked rattled. This was supposed to be Gauff’s moment. Except tennis doesn’t always follow the script.

The Serve That Continues to Haunt

Here’s where we need to address the elephant in the room: Gauff’s serve is still a problem. A big one. The American hit 12 double faults in this match alone. That brings her total to 38 double faults across her four Dubai matches.

And it’s clearly getting to her. Television cameras caught a revealing moment during the second set when Gauff, after yet another double fault, turned toward her coaching box and said, “I’ve been doing everything you’ve wanted for the last six months.”

The comment was presumably directed at Gavin MacMillan, her biomechanics coach, who was brought on before last year’s US Open specifically to fix her serve issues. MacMillan had previously worked wonders with Aryna Sabalenka’s serve, transforming what was once a liability into a weapon.

But six months in, and Gauff’s serve remains frustratingly inconsistent. She landed just 62% of her first serves today and got broken six times. That’s simply not going to cut it at this level, especially against someone as mentally tough as Svitolina.

Svitolina’s Remarkable Resilience

Svitolina showed the kind of mental fortitude that separates good players from great ones. After blowing those four match points in the tiebreak, many players would’ve spiraled. The Ukrainian stayed calm, regrouped, and came out firing in the third set.

She broke early, but Gauff immediately broke back. Then at 4-4, with Gauff serving, Svitolina had two break points. Gauff saved them both. It felt like the American might just pull this off after all. But in the end, Svitolina’s experience made the difference. She broke Gauff when it mattered most to seal the victory after three hours and three minutes of battle.

This win sends Svitolina to her third Dubai final, her first since 2018. It’s also her first WTA 1000 final in over seven years, marking the longest gap between 1000-level finals for any player since the format’s introduction in 2009.

What’s Next or Gauff?

This loss stings. There’s no sugar-coating it. Gauff had her chances and couldn’t capitalize. The serve issues that were supposed to be fixed are still very much present. And with the Sunshine Swing (Indian Wells and Miami) coming up next month, time is running out to get things sorted before the clay-court season begins.

But here’s the thing about Gauff: she’s only 20 years old, and she’s already shown she can win the biggest tournaments in the world. She’s a French Open champion. She’s proven she can handle pressure. And most importantly, she’s shown she doesn’t quit, even when staring down four match points.

The serve needs work—that much is obvious. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Gauff over the years, it’s that she’s willing to put in the work to improve. She’s made major changes to her coaching staff before, and she’s not afraid to keep evolving her game.

Gauff will take a few weeks off before heading to Indian Wells, and you can bet she’ll be working on that serve every single day between now and then. Because that’s what champions do. They learn from tough losses, make adjustments, and come back stronger.