World No. 3 Coco Gauff has opened up about her recent loss to Belinda Bencic in the Round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, a match that ended her hopes of advancing further in the prestigious WTA 1000 event. The 21-year-old American, who fell 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to the Swiss wildcard on March 12, addressed the defeat in a post-match press conference, offering a candid yet optimistic perspective on her performance and her 2025 season so far.
The match, which lasted two hours and 20 minutes, saw Gauff take the first set convincingly before Bencic mounted a comeback, capitalizing on Gauff’s serving struggles and inconsistent play in the second and third sets. Despite leading 40-0 in a crucial service game at 4-4 in the decider, Gauff was broken, allowing Bencic to serve out the match and secure her place in the quarterfinals. The loss marked another challenging moment in what has been an up-and-down start to the year for the 2023 US Open champion.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Gauff acknowledged her disappointment but emphasized that she is not dwelling on the defeat. “Obviously I wanted to do better, want to have better results, but it’s not something I can crush myself on,” she said. “I’m trying to do better, and that’s all I can do. I’m trying to work on things in practice, and sometimes it doesn’t translate right away in matches. But I’m sticking through those tough moments and trying to get better through them.”
Gauff’s serving issues, a recurring theme during her time in Indian Wells, were evident once again as she committed eight double faults against Bencic. Earlier in the tournament, she had struggled with 21 double faults in her opening-round win over Moyuka Uchijima, though she managed to reduce that number in subsequent matches. Reflecting on her serve, Gauff revealed that she has been working on adjustments but admitted it remains a work in progress. “We kind of changed a lot of things with the serve,” she said, declining to go into specifics. “I don’t want to get into details, but I went on the practice court after the first day and then after the other day. It’s something I’m still trying to figure out.”
Despite the loss, Gauff defended her season, which has included a 5-0 start at the United Cup, a quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open, and first-round exits in Doha and Dubai. “Overall, I feel like it’s not as bad as it seems,” she said. “Here, I mean, I lost 6-4 in the third in the fourth round against a tough opponent who’s coming off a 500 win [in Abu Dhabi]. It’s not the end of the world. I’m just trying to accept the highs and lows, and that’s been the biggest lesson for me in my tennis life so far.”
The defeat to Bencic, who has made a remarkable return to the tour after giving birth to her daughter Bella in April 2024, was Gauff’s second loss to the Swiss player in their four career meetings. Bencic, a former Olympic champion and world No. 4, has been in scintillating form since her comeback, reaching the last 16 at the Australian Open and winning the Abu Dhabi Open in February. Her victory over Gauff propelled her into the Indian Wells quarterfinals, her first at a WTA 1000 event since becoming a mother, and ensured her return to the top 50 in the WTA rankings.
For Gauff, the focus now shifts to the Miami Open, which begins on March 18. The American, who reached the semifinals at Indian Wells in 2024, remains determined to turn her season around. “I’m not going to sit here and beat myself up over it,” she said. “I’ve had some good moments this year, and I’ve had some tough ones. I’m just going to keep working and try to put it all together in Miami.”