‘I hope to’… Coco Gauff speaks out after defeat and sets target for the Berlin Open 2026

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Coco Gauff again found the transition from clay to grass to be as tough as ever, as she went out in the opening match of her grass court season.

The short turnaround between the end of Roland-Garros and the start of the grass season always provides a challenge for players, and for those that went deep in Paris, it’s even harder.

Just two weeks after lifting her maiden French Open title, Gauff headed to the Berlin Open to kick off her grass campaign, but it didn’t get off to a smooth start.

The 21-year-old fell in straight sets in her opening match in the German capital, a result that didn’t come as a shock given how little time she had to adjust to the surface change.

She was defeated by Wang Xinyu, the current No. 49 in WTA rankings, which gave the Chinese player revenge for their previous clash in the same tournament in 2022.

Coco Gauff makes a promise about the Berlin Open in 2026

Gauff was open about her performance on social media, acknowledging the quick turnaround from clay but keeping a positive outlook.

“It was a tough one today, but I’m happy to be back on court,” she said. “I tried my best to adjust with the quick turnaround, but it wasn’t enough.

“As always, I’m learning as I go, so I hope to do better next time. Thank you, Berlin, for the short but sweet visit, I’ll come back stronger next year.”

Gauff’s message reflected both the challenges of switching surfaces and her determination to keep moving forward.

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Coco Gauff defeat increases worries about Wimbledon

With ten days to go until Wimbledon, it seems that the American player has plenty of work to do, as she is struggling to adapt to the grass courts this season.

Gauff will also have to break something of a curse that started when she defeated Venus Williams at Wimbledon, in 2019. Since that match – considered her breakthrough victory at 15 – she hasn’t advanced beyond the fourth round.

In 2023, she fell to Sofia Kenin in the first round, and last year it was Emma Navarro who ended her run early. She will use her victory in Paris as motivation, hoping to adapt quickly and finally make a deeper run at the All England Club.