Coco Gauff took full responsibility for her and Alex Eala’s exit in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open women’s doubles, admitting she struggled throughout their hard-fought match against defending champions Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini.
The pair fell short in a close battle, 5-7, 6-3, 10-7, despite Eala’s standout performance in the high-stakes match.
“Many times I’ve apologized to her, but she’s quick, she’s fast, so she’s there to cover for me,” Gauff said in an interview with Tennis Channel.
Gauff, currently the world No. 3 in singles, admitted she’s still finding her rhythm in doubles after ending her partnership with world No. 4 Jessica Pegula earlier this year.
“You know how they say you don’t forget how to ride a bike? Doubles, you definitely forget how to play,” she said. “I told her, ‘I’m like ice at the net’—tha’t’s what I feel like.”
Despite the loss, Gauff praised Eala’s poise and energy on court, calling her the MVP of their quarterfinal match.
“In our match yesterday, she definitely got MVP for that. I was just kind of there. So, I told her sometimes I forget how to play because it’s been a while. It’s just one of those things,” Gauff shared.
“She’s super great. She plays really aggressive doubles, which is something I like and definitely need. I’m really happy. I knew how she played singles, but you never know how people are going to play doubles. I’m very happy.”
Gauff and Eala’s performance marked a promising partnership, showing strong chemistry and resilience against one of the top teams in women’s doubles.
The post Gauff takes blame for Italian Open loss with Eala: ‘She definitely got MVP’ first appeared on Fastbreak.
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