MELBOURNE — Coco Gauff struggled to contain her disappointment as she ended her Australian Open press conference in tears after losing 7-5, 6-3 to Elena Ostapenko.
With world No. 1 Iga Swiatek out just minutes before, Gauff had a chance to make his mark in the draw and claim his first Grand Slam victory.
But the 2022 French Open finalist couldn’t handle the strength of Ostapenko, who herself reached the final and won the Roland Garros six years ago, and when asked why she was so upset after that, her emotions boiled.
“I think it’s because I worked really hard and felt really good before the tournament and I still feel good,” Gauff said through tears.
“I still feel like I have gained a lot. But when you play against a player like her and she plays really well, there’s nothing you can do.
“Every game you play, but I feel like it was hard. So it’s a little frustrating in that regard.”
Ostapenko, number 17, has been in the spotlight since she hit it big at 20, but credits her performance against Gauff as a testament to how much her game has changed in that time.
“I think I went out on the field and took a lot of her time, so I really didn’t give her time to play her game,” Ostapenko said after scoring 30 winners en route to victory.
“I think the main thing was that I hit the ball hard beforehand, but I didn’t actually go on the field. Now I feel like I get on the field much better and I take the ball earlier, so I give my opponents time, which makes me a more dangerous player.
Ostapenko will face Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals, while Gauff will now turn his attention to a doubles match with Jessica Pegula, which she says will help her hold back tears of disappointment.
“It gives me the opportunity to still be there, and I definitely enjoy just being there in general,” Gauff said.
“I think doubles taught me how to play after losing, how to play with disappointment, and that’s how I felt today. I was upset.
“So I feel like it will help me in the future. It’s hard to bounce back from losing Grand Slams, but I’m looking forward to tomorrow.
“I hope I can help her and I hope she can [Pegula] now that I’m out, the tournament is going well. I hope she wins. I knew that if we both won, we would probably meet.”