It was strange to see Coco Gauff so flustered. I chalk it up to nerves. This was a HUGE opportunity because her sternest opponent, Iga Swiatek, was out of the draw. Did Coco Gauff get too far ahead in her mind and overlook the present opponent, Emma Navarro? It is hard to say what went wrong. However, it was a complete loss of her game. She was missing easy shots, which indicated that she was just not in the moment.

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Did Emma Win Because Gauff Never Showed Up?

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There were two players on court, one played poorly, and the other player was more consistent. There is winning when both players are performing at their best and there is winning when one player simply did not show up. Like a former Wimbledon champion said in her interview, I too was a bit disappointed that Gauff could not right the ship. She is the number two ranked female player and should have the ability to problem solve on the court. After all the concept of coaching is to equip your charge with the tools necessary to find a way to win when they are on the court since the coach cannot play the match for you. Credit Emma Navarro for playing her game and staying calm, while her opponent had a complete meltdown on the other side of the net.

How Does Gauff Go Forward From This Debacle?

Gauff and her team will need to understand what went wrong. If a player cannot think for herself on the court, then that is a serious problem. Sometimes when you want something too badly, you can end up tripping yourself up. She can take comfort in knowing that she is not the only player that has ever been undone by nerves. Yet, it is best to nip this in the bud before it becomes an unhealthy habit. Don’t forget she is still young. How will Emma Navarro perform in the next round after defeating the number two seed 6-4, 6-3? [7] Jasmine Paolini will not roll over so easily.

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