Coco Gauff faces clay's challenge at the 2026 Madrid Open
Coco Gauff recently expressed her feelings about competing on clay courts while giving a funny anecdote. She highlighted that her relationship with clay season is complicated, stating that although she doesn't enjoy competing on clay, it yields her the best results.
Gauff won her first singles title as a junior at the 2018 French Open. She defeated Caty McNally 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(1) to win the title as a 14-year-old and became the junior World No.1 that season. She enjoyed an impressive run on the surface in her professional years by advancing to the second round of Roland Garros in 2020. A year later, she improved her tournament result and reached the quarterfinals.
Gauff cruised through to the first Grand Slam final of her career at the 2022 French Open before being bested by Iga Swiatek. The American tennis player recorded deep runs with quarterfinal and semifinal exits at the next two editions, before clinching her first Grand Slam on the clay in 2025. Gauff came back from a lost set and defeated the World No.1 Aaryna Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4. In an interview with Tennis Channel, she highlighted her relationship with the clay surface and said:
"You know you have a guy, and they just treat you good and do everything right, but it's still like...just not there. That's how I feel about clay. Like, I have great results on clay. I do well on clay, but my socks get dirty, like I have to take off my shoes, like before I get in my room. It's just a lot of things that I also don't like about it, but my career on clay has always been the first of everything...junior title there, my first Grand Slam final, my first doubles Grand Slam. So it's just one of those guys, it's just, you know, maybe nice guys finish last."
Coco Gauff also clinched the doubles Roland Garros win in 2024.
Coco Gauff seeks her first singles title of 2026 after the Stuttgart Open exit
Coco Gauff is in pursuit of her first singles title in the 2026 season after underwhelming runs at all the tournaments she has competed in so far. The 2-year-old began her season at the Australian Open, where she lost to Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinal.
Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto recorded an upset and stunned Gauff after besting her in the first round 6-4, 6-2. Svitolina again pressed the French Open champion in the semifinal round of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Later, Gauff appeared at the Indian Wells Masters but had to pull out, citing an injury during her second round against Alexandra Eala.
Gauff bounced back at the Miami Open and reached the final round of the tournament after defeating the likes of Alycia Parks, Belinda Bencic, Karolina Muchova, and Sorana Cirstea. She began her clay season at the Stuttgart Open, but her hopes were again dashed after a loss to Muchova in the quarterfinal. Gauff will begin her campaign at the Madrid Open on April 23, 2026, with her sights on her first singles title of the season.
