Coco Gauff Breaks Down in Tears After Australian Open Loss

Coco Gauff was visibly emotional following her straight-sets loss to Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Sunday, while fellow American Jessica Pegula advanced to the quarterfinals.

Gauff, aged 18, was defeated 7-5 6-3 by the Latvian player on Margaret Court Arena. Overcome with disappointment, Gauff struggled to hold back tears during her post-match interview.

She shared her frustration, explaining, “I worked really hard and felt great coming into the tournament. I still feel like I’ve improved a lot. But when you face a player like her who’s in top form, it’s tough to cope with.”

As the seventh seed, Gauff had high expectations following her win at the ASB Classic in Auckland earlier this month. However, Ostapenko’s resilience was evident as she saved seven of the eight break points she faced and capitalized on all three of her break-point opportunities against Gauff.

Reflecting on the match, Gauff admitted, “I feel like every loss is somewhat in my control because I believe I’m a good player, but today she just played better. I was frustrated because I couldn’t find answers to her play. She kept returning deep shots, and it was just one of those days where nothing seemed to go my way.”

Ostapenko’s victory secures her a spot in the quarterfinals for the first time at Melbourne Park. She will face Elena Rybakina, who ousted world No. 1 Iga Światek 6-4 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena.

Rybakina, the 23-year-old former French Open champion, noted the pressure she felt during her match, saying, “I felt the pressure, and I was more focused on not losing rather than wanting to win. It’s something I need to work on in the coming weeks.”

Rybakina, who switched her national representation from Russia to Kazakhstan in 2018, is the reigning Wimbledon champion and the first Kazakhstani to win a grand slam.

In the other important result, third-seed Pegula became the highest-ranked player left in the women’s draw after her 7-5 6-2 win over Czech Barbora Krejcikova. The 2023 Australian Open will continue through January 29 in Melbourne.