Dubai, February 21 – Coco Gauff experienced intense frustration during a dramatic semifinal loss at the Dubai Tennis Championships, as the World No. 4 appeared to express her anger towards her coaching team during a grueling match.
Gauff lost 4-6, 7-6, 4-6 to Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in a three-hour marathon match. The match was full of momentum swings, but a key moment in the second set drew as much attention as the tennis itself.
After committing one of her 12 double faults in the afternoon, the 20-year-old American visibly became agitated. Turning away from the court, Gauff could be heard expressing her frustration, saying, "I've been doing everything you've wanted for the last six months..." She then appeared to lower her voice before adding, "And it hasn't gotten any better, bro."
Many observers interpreted the comments as directed at her serving coach, Gavin MacMillan, who joined her team before last year's US Open.
MacMillan, a biomechanics expert with experience in various sports, notably collaborated with Aryna Sabalenka in 2022 to help improve her serve. Gauff brought him in to address ongoing serving issues, as she led the WTA Tour in double faults last season with over 300.
Despite making technical adjustments to her service motion, the problem resurfaced during crucial moments against Svitolina. Gauff managed to save four match points in a tense second-set tie-break to push the match to a deciding set, but she couldn't stop Svitolina's momentum.
The 31-year-old Ukrainian player reached her first Dubai final in nearly a decade, where she will compete against American Jessica Pegula. Pegula earned her spot in the final by coming from behind to defeat her fellow American, Amanda Anisimova, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
For Gauff, the defeat was a disappointing end to an otherwise strong week, underscored by visible frustration as she continues to search for greater consistency on serve.
