Coco Gauff Fights Back in Dubai to Silence Doubts and Avenge Old Defeat
Redemption can be quiet, but it can also be powerful and in Dubai, Coco Gauff delivered a statement that was more about resilience than perfection.
The world number three stepped back onto the court at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships carrying pressure. Recent early exits had raised questions about her rhythm, her serve and her confidence. But against Anna Kalinskaya, the same opponent who stunned her at this tournament two years ago, Gauff found a way to respond.
This was not a flawless performance. In fact, it was messy at times. Wind swirled around the stadium. Serves misfired. Double faults crept in. Kalinskaya came out swinging, taking early leads in both sets and trying to shorten rallies with aggressive, flat groundstrokes. Even while dealing with a leg issue that required medical attention, she pushed hard and took risks.
But here is where Gauff showed maturity.
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Instead of panicking when she fell behind, she adjusted. She relied on her defense. She chased down balls that looked unreachable. She turned defense into offense with sharp angles and sudden changes of pace. And most importantly, she kept applying pressure on return. Kalinskaya struggled to win easy points on her first serve and that constant tension shifted the match.
The final score, 6-4, 6-4, may look routine. It was anything but.
For Gauff, this win was about more than advancing to the next round. It was about rediscovering belief. After recent losses in the Middle East and a tough quarterfinal exit at the Australian Open, there were whispers about whether she had lost momentum at the very top of the women’s game. Victories like this answer those doubts in a different way. Not with dominance, but with grit.
She now moves on to face Elise Mertens, a seasoned competitor with experience deep in big tournaments. That matchup will test whether this was just a moment of relief or the start of a genuine surge.
In Dubai, Coco Gauff did not play her best tennis. But she won. And sometimes, that is exactly how champions rebuild.
Stay with us for continuing coverage as the Dubai tournament unfolds and the race at the top of women’s tennis intensifies.
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