Coco Gauff is back on the WTA Tour this week, with the American playing singles and doubles at the Berlin Open.
WTA number seven Gauff is the fifth seed at the tournament, which she starts in round two following a first round bye.
She will also link up with fellow American Jessica Pegula on the doubles court, with the grass event being used by those involved as key preparation for Wimbledon.
Gauff has, however, only enjoyed Grand Slam success on hard and clay courts, which she has now recalled as she looks back on her fantastic career so far.
But more importantly, the 22-year-old shared a common misconception people have about her which she doesn’t like.
What does Coco Gauff need to improve to become a major champion once again?
Coco Gauff doesn’t like one popular feeling about her
Speaking to the WTA on YouTube, the American superstar was tasked with recalling the last time tennis made her cry.
“Probably US Open,” Gauff responded. “I cried on the court, everybody saw that. So yeah, that was the last time I cried.
“I think for me it just felt like so much pressure in that moment. But I’m kind of happy that I did it, because I felt like people got to see the vulnerability of being an athlete.
“And also because I created this agenda that I am calm, cool, and collected. And I don’t like when people say that, because it’s not true.
“So I got to show a little bit of that. But I would not want to feel like that again.”
Gauff has indeed been particularly emotional at her home Grand Slam, namely against Donna Vekic in the second round in 2025, and indeed when she lifted the trophy in 2023.
Prove us wrong…
Coco Gauff names her favorite player and surface
Fortunately Gauff has had the perfect player to idolize to help her through the tough moments, with Serena Williams fittingly also playing in Berlin this week.
Picking her biggest idol, Gauff said: “The WTA player that I admire the most is definitely Serena Williams.
“Why? I mean, she’s iconic.
“Everything to her on court fashion and how fierce a competitor she is, and just the representation that she presented for me. She’s an inspiration for me.”
Gauff also shared insight into her favorite surface, stating: “My favorite surface to play on, I’m just going to go hard court, because I feel like I grew up on that surface.
“However, I do really well on clay too.”
And explaining if that has shifted throughout her career, she said: “I mean, my favorite surface I think has shifted throughout my career.
“Sometimes I think it’s hard, and then sometimes it’s clay, and everybody’s like, ‘She’s a clay court player’.
“But then I won my first Slam on hard, so I feel like I have to say hard court, because that’s my roots.”
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Loss | 2022 | French Open | Clay | Iga Swiatek | 1–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 2023 | US Open | Hard | Aryna Sabalenka | 2–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
| Win | 2025 | French Open | Clay | Aryna Sabalenka | 6–7(5–7), 6–2, 6–4 |
Gauff did indeed win her first Grand Slam title on the hard courts of the US Open in 2023, and repeated her heroics on the clay courts of the French Open in 2025.
But she’s now fully focused on grass in Berlin, which represents her first event since she fell in the third round of the French Open.
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