Fresh off her French Open victory, Coco Gauff’s return to action was met with an unexpected defeat. The newly crowned champion was knocked out of the Berlin Open on Thursday, losing 6-3, 6-3 to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu.
The loss came as a surprise, considering Gauff’s recent triumph at Roland-Garros, where she secured her second Grand Slam title just two weeks ago.
Gauff’s Struggles in Berlin
Gauff, ranked No. 2 in the world, struggled with her game during the match, accumulating 25 unforced errors and seven double faults. These mistakes proved costly against Wang, who capitalized on Gauff’s missteps.
Gauff had received a bye into the second round of the grass-court tournament, which serves as a warmup for Wimbledon, but was unable to regain her form in this early exit.
Wang’s Confidence After the First Set
Wang, who is ranked No. 49, expressed her delight after winning the first set, especially considering she was up against the French Open champion. “After I won the first set, I just told myself, ‘OK, let’s take a minute and enjoy this.
I’m playing the French Open champion, and I won the first set,'” Wang said in her on-court interview. Despite the loss in the second set, Wang remained focused and said she would savor the moment.
The Chinese player also highlighted her strong performance, particularly with her serving and second-serve returns. “I was serving good and putting a lot of pressure on the return, especially second-serve return,” Wang added.
Her solid play earned her a spot in the quarterfinals, where she will face Paula Badosa.
Other Notable Results from the Berlin Open
In other matches, Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 1, advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (6) in a match that had been suspended on Wednesday due to a slippery court.
Sabalenka, who lost to Gauff in the French Open final, had previously apologized for making “unprofessional” comments after the match in Paris. She will now face 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the next round.
While Gauff’s loss was a setback after her recent success in Paris, it serves as a reminder of the challenges players face when returning to competition.
With the Wimbledon Championships around the corner, both Gauff and other top players like Sabalenka and Wang will look to regain form and push forward into the prestigious grass-court season.
