Coco Gauff arrived in the Spanish capital a little earlier than she would have preferred after a heartbreaking loss to Karolina Muchova in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix quarterfinals in Stuttgart on Friday. Gauff will be among the top names in the main draw of the Madrid Open (WTA 1000), starting April 22.
On Saturday, Gauff shared a collage on her Instagram story showing the reigning French Open champion sightseeing iconic places in Madrid, making the most of her short break between tournaments in the fast-paced European clay swing.
The draw announcement for the Madrid Open will take place on Monday morning, and the 22-year-old American will finally learn her path to the final. Last year, Gauff reached the final in Madrid but lost to the No. 1 seed, Aryna Sabalenka. Later, she reached the final of the Italian Open but yet again failed to win the title against home girl Jasmine Paolini.
Despite back-to-back losses in the finals of two WTA 1000 events, Gauff’s resilience and hard work on clay finally paid off in gold when she won Roland Garros, defeating Sabalenka in the final in a thrilling come-from-behind win. Despite the slight hiccup at Stuttgart, Gauff seems strong in her resolve ahead of the most crucial stretch of the clay season.
Coco Gauff Received Words of Praise From Karolina Muchova After Their Stuttgart Battle
Gauff had an incredible 6-0 record against Muchova, but all those meetings had come on hard surfaces. It was the first time the duo faced each other on clay, where the Czech seemed in mission mode to finally register her first win on tour against the American.
Muchova defeated Gauff in three sets, thereby ending the two-time Grand Slam champion’s hopes of claiming her first title of the season. After her win, Muchova praised Gauff for putting up an incredible fight and, at the same time, was ecstatic about advancing further at the Stuttgart Open.
“She’s obviously one of the best athletes, one of the best tennis players. I didn’t have great matches against her in the past, so I’m really glad I pulled out the first win against Coco. I’d rate myself above 8, I would say. But it was a great fight. I’m just so happy that I finally, finally beat her,” Muchova said in her on-court interview.
While the Czech prepares to face Elena Rybakina in the Stuttgart Open final on Sunday, Gauff is aiming to regroup herself and bounce back with intensity in the Madrid Open.
Also read:
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
