With forehand firing, Gauff hopes to carry momentum from Washington, DC into US Open

Coco Gauff knows exactly how opponents attack her: by peppering the forehand side.

That strategy has worked at times this season, as Gauff had not reached a final since Auckland in January when she arrived in Washington, DC this week for the Citi Open. She also lost in the Wimbledon first round earlier this summer.

Sensing that Gauff’s confidence was low, especially with her weaker forehand week, opponents continued to execute their obvious strategy in the nation’s capital. This time, however, it definitely did not work. Gauff‘s forehand held up under pressure throughout the tournament and it carried her to the biggest title of her career, which she secured by beating Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 in Sunday’s championship match.

It doesn’t take rocket science to see how people are playing me.

Coco Gauff

“The biggest takeaway I think that is pretty clear how everybody’s going to play me on the scouting report,” the 19-year-old American explained. “I think that consistently this week I have beaten that scouting report and I think that’s why the players tend to get a little more frustrated.

“Almost all week every player that I played has been looking at their box, because I truly think that the plan that they had I was able to kind of come combat that. So today [Sakkari] clearly had a plan and I think that I kind of just made that plan fizzle out a little bit. So I think that that’s the biggest thing that I have been trying to do was just trying to beat the scouting report.

“It doesn’t take rocket science to see how people are playing me…. I mean, it’s not a secret. Everybody is trying to play the forehand. Like, I’m not going to sit here and act like it’s some secret. Anybody who’s watching the matches can see that. And today I was telling myself to stay in those forehand rallies with her, because I felt like I was winning a lot of them and she was trying to change and get out of them. I think that’s what kept me in it longer, which I feel like in the past I probably would have [felt] like I need to get out of these rallies. But now I feel like I’m really stable on that side.”

Gauff sets sights on US Open

With a 500-point title under her belt, Gauff now hopes for bigger and better things at the Grand Slam level. Although two WTA Premier 1000-point events in Montreal and Cincinnati are on the upcoming schedule, the U.S. Open later this month is her main priority. After all, Gauff finished runner-up at the 2022 French Open but has since failed to advance past the quarter-finals at any major and has lost in the third round and first round of the last two Wimbledons.

“It definitely does,” Gauff responded when asked if this title gives her confidence that she can win a Grand Slam. “I think the caliber of players I have beat this week was probably the strongest out of all of the tournaments I’ve played…. This is definitely one of those weeks where I gain a lot of confidence.”

The world No 7 also knows more improvement — including with the forehand — is necessary if she wants to achieve Grand Slam success.

“I have to improve even more,” she assured. “You know, [there’s] still room for a lot of improvement. But within the three-week span it’s been — since my first-round (Wimbledon) loss to now — I feel like it’s improved so much where I don’t feel like it’s a liability. It’s becoming a weapon.”

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