Last year, before falling to Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid Open final, Coco Gauff stormed through the draw, even dismantling Iga Swiatek 6-1, 6-1 in a jaw-dropping semifinal. But while defending 650 ranking points this season, Gauff’s campaign unraveled with a stunning R16 loss to Linda Noskova, costing her the World No. 3 spot to Swiatek. Now, former Serena Williams coach Rennae Stubbs has openly questioned Gauff’s on-court decision-making, which played a major role in her early Madrid exit.

In the latest episode of ‘The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast,’ former doubles world No. 1 Rennae Stubbs spoke candidly about Coco Gauff’s disappointing loss at the Madrid Open. 

“Noskova beating Coco was impressive, because Coco should have won that match,” Stubbs said while reflecting on how the American let the contest slip away despite being firmly in control during the deciding set.

Later, Stubbs added, “She was up four-one in the third, and may I just say on a roll. She won the second set six-one, was up four-one, I believe. So basically was winning every game, it felt like for a while there. And then at four-one on her serve, kind of dropped the ball a little bit, just making really not great decisions on her shot selection, getting upset with herself.”

The veteran coach also pointed to Gauff’s visible frustration during crucial moments of the match. According to Stubbs, those emotional reactions gave Noskova confidence and shifted momentum at the worst possible time for the American star.

“She’s showing her opponents this negativity on the court, which comes out, and you can’t do that against a Noskova because Noskova is going to hit the ball through you, and that’s the biggest, worst opponent for Coco.”

She further explained that Gauff still had opportunities to close out the match, especially during the deciding tiebreak, but failed to capitalize when the pressure intensified late in the contest.

“And even in the third set tie-break, Coco was up in that tie-break and should have put the match away. And just some poor decision-making from her. And I feel like the coaches have an opportunity to tell their players something.”

However, the veteran also questioned Gauff’s chances of defending her title at the French Open. “So there’s a lot of question marks for Coco going clearly into Rome and to defend her title in France, because the confidence is definitely not there.” 

And as Gauff now heads toward the Italian Open, she also faces the pressure of defending another 650 ranking points to maintain a strong position ahead of Roland Garros.

Coco Gauff shares her health update ahead of the Italian Open

At the Madrid Open, Coco Gauff suffered a worrying health scare on court but ultimately avoided the same fate as Iga Swiatek. The Polish star had earlier revealed that a stomach virus was spreading around the locker room in Madrid.

Swiatek was heavily affected by the illness and eventually had to retire during the third set of her third-round match against Ann Li. That situation immediately raised concerns when Gauff also appeared physically unwell during her own match.

The American looked in serious trouble during her clash against Sorana Cirstea. Gauff was trailing by a set and a break when she suddenly rushed to the side of the court and vomited during the second set.

The third seed later called for a medical timeout as the situation became increasingly difficult. Despite clearly struggling physically, Gauff managed to completely change the momentum of the contest and produced an impressive comeback victory.

When asked at the pre-match press conference at the Italian Open about her condition and recovery after Madrid, Gauff gave a positive update ahead of the next major clay-court event. “Yeah, when I started my first practice, I felt 100%. I took three days off after my last match, and I feel fine, like nothing happened.”

The American further added, “It was definitely a weird maybe 48 to 72 hours, but I got through some tough ones, and I had chances in the last match. So, given I wasn’t feeling 100% is definitely some positives to take for sure.”

Now, Gauff shifts her focus toward the Italian Open in Rome, where, after receiving a first-round bye, she will begin her campaign in the second round. Her opening match will come against Tereza Valentova. A potential third-round showdown against Emma Raducanu could also await if both players advance.

In the fourth round, Gauff may face fellow American Iva Jovic, while Mirra Andreeva, the Madrid Open runner-up, could stand in her path during the quarterfinals. The draw only becomes more difficult from there.

Gauff could then face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a possible semifinal clash, with Elena Rybakina looming as a potential final opponent. 

Can the American successfully defend her ranking points and build momentum before the French Open? Only time will tell, as she prepares to light up Centre Court today.