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Coco Gauff Changed Her Game By Erasing 'Mental Deficit'

Coco Gauff has begun "erasing" problems from her mind, and it has transformed her game.
Pat Benson|
Coco Gauff at the 2026 Australian Open.
Coco Gauff at the 2026 Australian Open. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Coco Gauff kicked off her 2026 Australian Open campaign with a solid first round win over Kamilla Rakhimova: 6-2, 6-3. Gauff's serving struggles have been well documented and began to flare up in today's match, when she hit three double faults in the second game.

However, 3-seed hit only four more double faults the rest of the match. Gauff explained how a new mental approach helped her mid-match, and later brought it up again when asked about her head-to-head record against Iga Swiatek.

"Once I got through that game, it was pretty much smooth sailing from there," explained Gauff. "I think I just erased that first game, and then after that I was better."

Gauff would not face Swiatek unless they both advance to the final. However, that did not stop a reporter from asking about Gauff's newfound success against Swiatek. It gave the 21-year-old an opportunity to explain a game-changing mindset shift that is wise beyond her years.

The reporter asked, "You've managed to turn your head to head around with Iga. You've won the last 4 without dropping a set. How much does that play a role in your thinking? How do you turn a losing head-to-head record around?"

"Yeah, in the past, there was no other head-to-heads that I felt like really bad about except that one. In the past, I think I used to think about it so much because you just want to get the one win. And I think, once I got that, it kind of like I erased the other matches."

Gauff continued, "I mean, obviously, she's a great player, and she deserved those wins, but I felt like a lot of those, some of those losses, I won't say a lot because she just outplayed me, but some of them, at least at the beginning, it just was already on the mental like deficit. And I think once I erased that mental deficit, I was able to play free. And yeah, I think there was like no other head-to-head in tennis where I had that.

So, it was very difficult to navigate, but now I feel like I'm able to play free and I'm not -- obviously, it's still a big gap in the head-to-head, but I just erase it from my mind. Can't change the past, but I learned from it. And yeah, I mean, I don't know how it'll end at the end of our careers, but at least I know and the future matches I won't be starting like that with the mental deficit," concluded Gauff.

Gauff will face Olga Dalinovic, who narrowly defeated Venus Williams in her first round match, in the second round. The 2026 Australian Open runs through January 31 for the women and February 1 for the men.

Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis style news from the court and beyond.

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Aryna Sabalenka discussed her rivalry with Iga Swiatek.

Coco Gauff dealt a brutal draw at the Australian Open.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers professional tennis for Serve on Sports Illustrated, reporting on ATP and WTA events worldwide. From Challenger tournaments to Grand Slams, he brings readers in-depth coverage, daily recaps, and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport. With a decade of experience in sports journalism, Pat is recognized as a trusted voice in tennis media. You can contact him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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