Even as one of the sport’s brightest stars, Coco Gauff admitted the mental side of tennis continues to challenge her.
The 22-year-old American, ranked No. 4 in the world, said she often struggles with impostor syndrome, doubting her achievements despite a decorated career.
“Even when they are saying my accomplishments when I walk on or during the warm-up, it doesn’t feel like me,” Gauff told reporters after her quarterfinal win. “When you’re working on things, and especially with my serve, it just feels like I shouldn’t be where I am. But tennis doesn’t lie, the ball doesn’t lie, so I just have to believe in myself.”
Gauff’s candid acknowledgment highlights the pressure even top athletes face.
Impostor syndrome, a psychological pattern where high-achievers fear being exposed as frauds, is common in professional sports, where constant scrutiny and expectation amplify self-doubt.
Gauff credits her coaching team, led by Jean Christophe Faurel, with helping her navigate these moments and build confidence while refining her game.
“At moments, I believe in it, and other moments, I don’t. I’m just trying to believe in it more,” she said.
On Tuesday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, Gauff turned mental fortitude into action, defeating Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 to reach her first Miami Open semifinal.
The two-hour, 15-minute match tested her resilience. Gauff opened with a commanding first set 6-3, but Bencic, 2020 Olympic gold medallist and a seasoned campaigner, responded with a 6-1 second set.
Facing an early break in the deciding set, Gauff rallied with four consecutive games to close out the victory, marking a breakthrough after failing to advance past the fourth round in her first six Miami appearances.
Her win also made Gauff the youngest American woman to reach the Miami Open semifinals since Serena Williams in 2004.
It capped a strong start to 2026, with the Delray Beach native entering the tournament with an 11-5 record and already overcoming set deficits against Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Alycia Parks.
Gauff now prepares to face Czech Karolina Muchova in Thursday’s semifinal.
Gauff holds a perfect 5-0 record against Muchova, including a three-set triumph at the 2026 Australian Open.
A win would send Gauff to her first Miami final and continue her streak of deep runs at WTA 1000 events, where she has now reached the quarterfinals or better at all 10 current tournaments.
At just 22, Gauff’s career already includes 11 WTA singles titles, two Grand Slam victories, and the 2024 WTA Finals title.
