As was the case in Madrid Coco Gauff needed to come from behind to win her opening match at the Italian Open.
The 21-year-old took on the dangerous emerging teenager Victoria Mboko, who showed just how dangerous she can be.
The American struggled during set one and Mboko showed great poise to take the first set in one of the biggest matches of her career so far.
But Coco Gauff has been in this situation on several occasions in her career and she did not panic and found a way to turn the match in her favour and complete a three-set win.
What Coco Gauff found ‘impossible’ to do during her first match at the Italian Open
On Friday opened her 2025 Italian Open campaign, just six days after reaching the Madrid Open final.
The players have gone playing at high altitude in Madrid to Rome, where Gauff described the conditions as somewhat slow.
This is something she struggled to adjust to in the early stages of her match against Mboko, and post-match Gauff admitted she found it difficult to hit winners, but she found a way to win.
“Obviously the last two sets were a lot better,” Gauff told reporters in Rome. “It was tough finding, like, my rhythm.
“I find the conditions are much slower than in Madrid. I felt it was impossible to hit a winner. Victoria played great tennis. She forced me to play like that. So full credit to her.
“I was pretty composed because I felt like I was playing the right way in the first, just not necessarily connecting on some shots. I just felt like if I just started to land more balls in, it would go my way.”
Coco Gauff assesses Victoria Mboko’s game after their Italian Open match
Gauff faced one of the brightest young talents that could be a force on the WTA Tour over the next several years.
Mboko began to make waves by winning 22 successive matches without dropping a set at ITF, and in the process claimed four titles in Martinique, Guadeloupe, the USA and England respectively.
As a result she was given a wildcard for the Miami Open in March and claimed her WTA main draw win by defeating Camila Osorio.
She has since given Gauff a stern test in Rome, and began to catch the World number three’s attention following her Miami Open run.
“First I saw her Miami Open. I didn’t know much about her before, but I’ve been following her since Miami,” he said. “I think she’s a great player. I knew it was going to be a tough match.
“Yeah, like the ranking difference looks different, but she’s playing top-level tennis. I approached the match that way. It’s not a case of underestimation. I knew she was going to come out there and play great.
“She’s obviously a big hitter, can play well, moves pretty well, has a nice backhand, same on the forehand. Yeah, I don’t want to say she plays like me ’cause she obviously doesn’t. We’re like closer in age. I would say on the movement side athletically she’s one of the best athletes on tour.”
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