Coco Gauff has a big issue which has been exposed by Jasmine Paolini the last two times they have played

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Coco Gauff’s Cincinnati Open campaign has come to an end after losing to Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals.

The American was a set to the good in the match, but Paolini fought back to clinch the victory 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 and advance to the semifinals, where she will face Veronika Kudermetova.

Gauff was looking to go far in Cincinnati after a short-lived run in Montreal, where she fell to 18-year-old Victoria Mboko in the fourth round.

It was not to be for the two-time Grand Slam champion, whose defeat marks a third straight loss to Paolini at tour-level events.

Jasmine Paolini has highlighted Coco Gauff’s problem in Cincinnati

The Italian earned two wins against Gauff during the clay swing earlier this season, at the Stuttgart Open and the Italian Open.

In her third consecutive triumph in Cincinnati, she won 71.8% of her total points as a result of unforced errors from her opponent, according to OptaAce.

The only match this season in which Gauff has conceded a higher rate was in her bout with Paolini in Rome, with 76.4%.

The two tallies have not been recorded by accident, but rather through a tactic deployed by the world number five.

In both matches, Paolini has targeted Gauff’s forehand, which has been one of the weaker shots in her game during the 2025 season.

At the Italian Open, British tennis legend Tim Henman noticed she needed much more time on her right side due to the heavy western grip she utilises.

This has proven to be problematic for Gauff, particularly on faster surfaces, like grass and hard courts, which Paolini has taken advantage of this year.

Jasmine Paolini now leads the head-to-head with Coco Gauff

Gauff won her first two meetings with Paolini, which came at the Adelaide International in 2021 and the Cincinnati Open in 2023.

They did not play after that until 2025, when the two WTA stars had their first clay matchup at the Stuttgart Open.

Paolini wrapped up that contest in straight sets and emulated her performance in their Italian Open encounter, where she levelled the head-to-head record.

With her victory in Cincinnati, she now leads in their rivalry by three wins to two, though the pair are yet to face off at a Grand Slam.