Coco Gauff’s Cincinnati Breakdown: Costly Errors and Doubts Cloud Star Ahead of US Open

Coco Gauff, the world No. 2 and two-time Grand Slam champion, faced an unexpected setback at the Cincinnati Open on August 15, 2025, where she was defeated in the quarterfinals by Italy’s Jasmine Paolini. This loss, marked by critical errors and wavering confidence, has raised questions about Gauff’s form just weeks before the US Open, signaling challenges in her game that could affect her performance in New York.

Unraveling at Cincinnati: A Match of Shifting Momentum

Gauff began her Cincinnati quarterfinal match strongly, dominating early against Jasmine Paolini with aggressive groundstrokes and solid court coverage. She claimed the first set convincingly, forcing Paolini into mistakes. However, as the match progressed, the tide turned dramatically. Paolini’s resilience shone through despite rolling her ankle early in the final set, as she rallied to take the second and third sets 6-4, 6-3, marking her third consecutive win over Gauff this season.

Analyst and former champion Lindsay Davenport offered insight into the turning point of the match during a Tennis Channel podcast. She explained that Gauff started well and controlled much of the first set, highlighting Paolini’s poor performance initially. Davenport noted,

“Yeah, the best Coco played was the beginning of this match. Absolutely dominated out here. Paolini ended that first set with one winner and 17 unforced errors. And Gauff was so consistent around the court. She was aggressive at times. She was consistent at others,”

—Lindsay Davenport, Former American Tennis Ace

Despite this strong start, Davenport outlined how Gauff’s level dropped sharply in the second set, identifying a critical shift:

“But something shifted early in the second after Gauff was able to get the first set. Interesting how this match just went up and down out here. Gauff served left at the beginning of the second. She then got broken at one stage five times in a row. And Paolini was just consistent from the back of the court. She was making shots,”

—Lindsay Davenport

This inconsistency proved costly as Gauff’s confidence appeared to waver, with serving issues particularly evident. Davenport revealed that the young American struggled with double faults and forehand errors, which undermined her rhythm. She said,

“Wasn’t even going for that much. Ended up the match with, I believe, 14 doubles. And just when the serve went, so did Coco’s confidence. And the forehand then started to make some errors.”

—Lindsay Davenport

Meanwhile, Paolini, initially unsure of her chances, found new energy and belief. Davenport highlighted how Paolini ramped up pressure by increasing her consistency and shot-making ability.

“And Paolini, who in the beginning didn’t seem like she believed she could win, all of a sudden had a little bit more energy. She’s a little bit more consistent. She started making a lot of returns into play and really started to pressure Gauff.”

—Lindsay Davenport

Even after twisting her ankle during the match, Paolini showed remarkable resilience, shaking off the injury and securing the decisive break early in the final set. Davenport summarized Gauff’s breakdown by emphasizing the error count that doomed the champion that night:

“At one stage in the third set, Paolini sprained her ankle, then recovered beautifully and ended up with a huge win for her. But Steve, 44 errors to seven winners, and that’s the winner of the match. So it was a tough night of tennis out there.”

—Lindsay Davenport

Concerns Raised by Chanda Rubin About Gauff’s US Open Readiness

The loss in Cincinnati added to a string of recent struggles for Gauff, who had already fallen in the Round of 16 at the Canadian Open and failed to reach the semifinals in either event. Her serving woes were particularly pronounced at Cincinnati, where she registered 16 double faults amid 14 service breaks and 62 unforced errors over three hours of play. This inconsistency raises questions about her preparation for the upcoming US Open.

Former top-10 player Chanda Rubin expressed her apprehension about Gauff’s form ahead of the Grand Slam. On the Tennis Channel, Rubin underscored that Gauff’s recent results reflect more than physical issues, highlighting mental and confidence factors. She conveyed,

“I think for me, I’m looking a little bit more at Coco and just to kind of take the other side. Coco Gauff, you know, I think she won Roland Garros. She made a tough transition onto the grass. She figured, you know, tight turnaround. She had a lot of things going on. Didn’t quite get it going there.”

—Chanda Rubin, Former Top-10 Tennis Player

Rubin further probed into the psychological demands facing Gauff in the hard-court season, emphasizing the importance of mental resilience:

“How is she feeling? Is she feeling confident? Does she feel like she can work through some tough matches in New York? Does she have enough matches behind her on the hard courts to feel that? So that would be my concern,”

—Chanda Rubin

Rather than dismissing Gauff’s talent, Rubin stressed the potential for improvement and the fine line between confidence and doubt that champions must navigate, especially on high-pressure stages.

The Road Ahead: What Gauff Must Address Before Flushing Meadows

Gauff’s Cincinnati performance spotlighted multiple facets that require urgent attention before the US Open. Foremost, her serve—particularly the second serve—proved vulnerable, leading to costly double faults and breaks. The psychological toll from these unstable moments likely contributed to the cascade of unforced errors throughout the match.

The clash with Jasmine Paolini also revealed Gauff’s current struggle to maintain momentum under pressure, allowing an underdog to capitalize on hesitation. With the US Open fast approaching at Flushing Meadows, Gauff’s ability to reconcile these issues into a more consistent and confident display will be closely watched by fans and analysts alike.

Experts suggest that beyond technical fixes, Gauff will need to rebuild her mental fortitude, ensuring she can navigate tight moments against the top competition expected in New York. Given her history—claiming the French Open title earlier this year—there is ample evidence of her capacity to rise to the occasion, but recent results have underscored the challenges of sustaining peak performance consistently.

The stakes are high as Gauff prepares for the final Grand Slam of the season. Her fate in Cincinnati serves as both a warning and an opportunity for recalibration. If she can harness the lessons from this breakdown, the path to reclaiming her dominance on the hard courts remains open. However, failure to resolve these vulnerabilities could see her US Open ambitions fall short once again.