Coco Gauff already highlights what she could ‘struggle’ with in Dubai ahead of the tournament even starting

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Coco Gauff will be looking to bounce back at the Dubai Tennis Championships after a disappointing start to her Asian swing in Doha.

Gauff crashed out in her opening match at the Qatar Open, falling to Elisabetta Cocciaretto in straight sets.

The early exit follows her quarterfinal finish at the Australian Open, where the American was knocked out by Elina Svitolina.

She will now get her Dubai campaign underway, where Gauff, seeded third, will face either Jeļena Ostapenko or Anna Kalinskaya in the first round.

Throughout the years, the 21-year-old has not found an awful lot of success on the Middle East swing, which she touched on in her pre-tournament press conference.

Coco Gauff discusses her struggles during the Middle East swing

When asked why so many players struggle in Dubai and Doha, Gauff said: “I think it’s being so close to Australia. I know some players live here, but a lot of players live in Europe or [the] U.S.

“I think the biggest struggle is obviously you’re in Australia for, like, a month. Some people even more. You want to go home. You go home.

“Yeah, you basically have to leave and come back here and get adjusted all over again.

“For me personally, Doha was a bit slower, but here it’s a bit faster. I think I could struggle a little bit with that. Yeah, maybe the transition after Australia might be tough for some players.

“I know some players decided to miss these two tournaments, which maybe in the future, depending on how I feel, is something I’ll consider because there’s no point in me coming if I’m going to keep losing first round.

“Yeah, I’m going to have to figure out the right balance for me, coming to Dubai to give me an extra week.”

Coco Gauff says the balls are heavier in the Middle East

Discussing the conditions in the Middle East, Gauff said: “I mean, definitely the balls feel heavier in Doha just because of the climate, I think. I think it’s normal.

“I played with the balls, Australian Open balls, the whole pre-season. They still feel different in Australia. I think it’s just the climate.

“But they’re using the same balls as Australia, which I think is good because we’re changing balls all the time.

“I think they can’t help the climate, how it affects the balls. I would like to see more consistency on tour when it comes to balls.”

Gauff’s best result at the Dubai Tennis Championships is a semifinal finish, which she managed in 2023.