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Belinda Bencic has been in strong form since making her return to the WTA Tour after giving birth to her first child last year. Coco Gauff was well aware of her opponent’s capabilities but admitted post-match that she allowed Bencic to dictate play more than she intended.
"I felt like today, I mean, against Belinda is tough, because she hits the ball so low and flat, so it’s tough to kind of hit how I would like, but, I mean, I made some errors in the last game and also in the game before," Gauff shared in her press conference.
The world No. 3 explained that she struggled with adjusting to conditions and that her shot selection was affected by the wind.
"I don’t know. This feels like one of those things where I kind of have to go for more margin. Also, at the same time, the match was four-all in the third set, and we were kind of holding serve, both of us were holding serve."
Gauff noted that the wind played a role in her performance:
"Maybe on the far side the wind was more with me, so I think maybe I overplayed those balls for sure. I felt like on the closer side to my box, it was definitely against the wind and it was harder to hit through."
Ultimately, she admitted that she let Bencic take control of rallies from the backhand side—a situation she hopes to avoid in the future.
"So, yeah, I think there is a balance in it, but I think today, honestly, I felt like I let her dictate a lot from the backhand corner. I think that’s something that I don’t want to happen, especially I feel like that’s the corner I should be more so dictating."
Gauff Addresses Serve Adjustments and Challenges
Gauff’s serve has been under scrutiny, particularly after hitting 21 double faults in her opening match at Indian Wells against Moyuka Uchijima. While she managed to improve in subsequent rounds, serving remains a key area of focus for her.
When asked about her serve, Gauff revealed that she had made technical adjustments but wasn’t fully satisfied with her execution.
"I think it’s all connected. We kind of changed a lot of things with the serve," Gauff explained. "I don’t want to get into specifics of it, but yeah, I mean, I went on the practice court after the first day and then after the other day."
She acknowledged that while her consistency improved, she still wants to be more aggressive with her serve.
"You know, I still think I could have served better. Was obviously more consistent, but definitely want to get more aggressive with it. It was kind of one of those things where I started the tournament not serving well, so it’s more so just trying to get it in."
Reflecting on a crucial moment in the match, Gauff noted:
"That doesn’t mean — I mean, I hit some good serves today, but I feel like especially in that last game, up 40-Love, I probably could have went bigger in those moments. But yeah, like you said, it is an improvement, and hopefully can continue to do better from here."
Looking Ahead
Despite the loss, Gauff’s performance at Indian Wells showed steady improvements in her serve and game strategy. With further adjustments, she remains a strong contender on the WTA circuit and will be looking to refine her approach in upcoming tournaments.
