American tennis veteran drops bombshell on Coco Gauff's Grass Court Championships Berlin defeat: "This isn’t her best surface"

In a surprising start to her 2025 grass court season, Coco Gauff suffered an early setback, falling to China’s Wang Xinyu in straight sets. The 6-3, 6-3 defeat came as a shock to fans and analysts alike, especially given Gauff's red-hot form following her recent French Open triumph. However, former American tennis pro CoCo Vandeweghe believes this loss could be exactly what Gauff needs.

A rough start to grass season for Coco Gauff

Transitioning from the clay courts of Roland Garros to the slick, fast-paced grass courts has never been easy — even for top-tier players. Gauff, currently ranked World No. 2, faced Wang Xinyu in her first grass match since her Grand Slam victory in Paris. The result? A match riddled with errors and frustration. Gauff totaled 25 unforced errors and fired seven double faults, never quite finding her rhythm on the surface.

This marked Wang's first career victory over Coco Gauff and her second straight win over a top-20 player, having previously ousted Daria Kasatkina. The loss served as a wake-up call for the young American, who will now look to rebound with Wimbledon looming.

Vandeweghe’s bold assessment

Reacting to the loss on Tennis Channel, former World No. 9 CoCo Vandeweghe delivered a blunt yet insightful analysis of Gauff’s performance and grass court prospects.

“I just don’t even think this shakes her confidence at all. This is not going to be her best surface,” Vandeweghe said, pulling no punches. “But you know what she is going to do — she is going to take this loss and really work on herself.”

Vandeweghe went on to praise Coco Gauff’s resilience, calling her “the ultimate competitor” who thrives under pressure.

“When the chips are down and she needs to fight and be the dog out there and just grind out situations, good or bad, she does it time and time again,” she added. “I almost like that she lost, to not have the euphoria state of ‘I am the Grand Slam champion’ kind of swagger walking around the court.”

A setback or a setup?

Though some may view the defeat as a blow to Gauff’s Wimbledon hopes, Vandeweghe sees it as motivation.

“She has a chip on her shoulder now… [People are saying] Coco Gauff doesn’t have a chance at Wimbledon, this isn’t her best surface. When does Gauff thrive? In those moments.”

As Gauff regroups and continues her preparation for Wimbledon, this early loss could serve as the spark she needs. With her mental toughness and relentless work ethic, she may just flip the narrative — again.