Coco Gauff’s Cincinnati Open run ended on Friday night as she was beaten by Jasmine Paolini in an error-strewn quarter-final performance
Coco Gauff saw her Cincinnati Open journey come to an abrupt end on Friday night.
During a particularly off-kilter performance, the world No. 2 who had complained about “super light” tennis balls during the tournament could be seen tossing her racket and smashing it on the ground as errors mounted before suffering a disappointing defeat at the hands of world No. 9 Jasmine Paolini.
Gauff, who clinched the tournament title in 2023, made an unexpectedly early departure this year due to a string of basic mistakes. The American tennis sensation was defeated (6-2), (4-6), (3-6) by Paolini, who managed to bounce back from a mid-match tumble to turn the tables in a quarterfinal filled with dramatic shifts after going viral for her “ice sausage” remarks.
The 21-year-old American prodigy racked up 16 double faults and 62 unforced errors during the match. Her game fell apart in the third set when she surrendered her serve in the opening game after making three double faults.
Gauff’s frustration boiled over as she threw her arms up in disbelief, then smashed her racket to the ground before returning to the baseline. It marked Gauff’s third consecutive defeat this year to Paolini, who had previously beaten her opponent in straight sets in Rome and during the quarterfinals at Stuttgart.
Following the Rome encounter, Andy Roddick and Jim Courier both slammed Gauff’s forehand technique and unforced errors, pointing out she had 55 errors compared to Paolini’s 20.
Roddick broke down Paolini’s strategy as targeting Gauff’s forehand, which controlled the rhythm of the entire match.
“Coco did not get a lot of those rallies backhand to backhand, which she would have preferred, that wasn’t an accident by Jasmine Paolini,” said Roddick at the time. “I thought she played a great match, execution wise, and I think it was a strategic match as well.”
Former Australian tennis player Rennae Stubbs also slammed Gauff’s serving form after the American shockingly crashed out during the round of 16 at the Miami Open in a match where she racked up 12 double faults against Magda Linette. “Her grip is wrong,” Stubbs analyzed.
“I think her elbow gets super low and so close to her body. The left arm jumps down. There are so many little technical things that will be a problem for her going forward forever.”
The racket smacked against the hardcourt as Gauff noticed a shift in her serve returns. After studying Novak Djokovic’s game following her win over Caroline Dolehide in the second round of the 2024 Australian Open, she made it to the semifinals but was bested by Aryna Sabalenka.
She pointed out that simplifying and shortening her swing had a significant impact.
Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, offered to step in and help with her issues during the Canadian Open. In that tournament, she served up 23 double faults in a single match against Danielle Collins, marking the fifth-highest total in WTA history for such mistakes.
Despite her serving woes and unique ball-striking style, Gauff remains among the elite in tennis. She currently holds the No. 2 ranking worldwide and clinched her second Grand Slam title at the 2025 French Open by defeating Sabalenka in the final. Like Stubbs, Macci believes that while she has tasted success, her potential will be limited unless she improves her serve.
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