It has been a nightmarish start for the Americans in Doha, with Coco Gauff and five other players already facing an exit in the 2026 Qatar Open. Ann Li remains the only American still alive in the singles draw.
Gauff, the No. 4 seed, was stunned in straight sets (6-4, 6-2) by Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the second round. Defending champion Amanda Anisimova was forced to retire from her second-round match against Karolína Plíšková due to illness. 12th-seeded Emma Navarro suffered a three-set defeat against Anna Kalinskaya. Peyton Stearns was also taken down in three sets against Vera Zvonareva.
Moreover, qualifier Alycia Parks was defeated in the Round of 32 at the hands of Zheng Qinwen. The same Chinese opponent defeated fellow American Sofia Kenin in the first round in Doha.
The only American remaining, Li, who defeated Leylah Fernandez in the first round and stunned Magdalena Frech in the second, is set to face Cocciaretto, the Italian who upset Gauff, in the next round for a place in the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 event.
Coco Gauff Reacts After Stunning Loss to Italian
It hasn’t been easy going for Coco Gauff to start the 2026 season. The two-time Grand Slam champion went through an episode after suffering a defeat against Elina Svitolina in the Australian Open quarterfinals. She hoped to do well on her return to Doha, but shockingly, she faced a 6-4, 6-2 defeat in her first match in the tournament.
After being eliminated by Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto, the American expressed her frustration for not being able to translate form from practice.
“I just feel like I haven’t showed up with my best level the last few matches,” Gauff said after the match via Tennisuptodate. “I’m just looking to find that again… I just feel like some of the things I’ve been working on in practice aren’t translating to the match court, which is super frustrating. I’ve been having good practices, but just not playing well in the matches. I just need to find how it can translate.”
“I tried to be more aggressive and was hitting more unforced errors,” the American added. “When I tried to be a little more passive and play with more shape, she was taking the ball early and crushing the ball. I think I need to figure out how to play against players like her, who hit super flat and take everything early. I think the last two matches showed I’ve been struggling with that. That’s something I need to work on in practice.”
Gauff will need to shift focus to better prepare for Roland Garros, where she is the defending champion.
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