Paula Badosa was ranked 100 almost a year ago and guess what? She has now knocked the world number 3, Coco Gauff out of the 2025 AO. Badosa defeated Gauff by 7-5,6-4 in the QF and next up for her is her ‘soulmate’, Aryna Sabalenka. On one side there is a set of fans who are heaping praise on the Spaniard for her incredible comeback after suffering from frequent injuries and dealing with lack of form in the last few years. Then on the other side, there are a few who are taking a jibe at Coco Gauff for her failing to deliver when it mattered the most! The American recently shared a stern message to those naysayers and now Candi Gauff shows her support towards her daughter.

Coco Gauff is just 20 years old and within this short span of her tennis career, she has seen quite a few ups and downs already. There were days when fans hailed her as the ‘next big thing in women’s tennis’ and then on other days, she was heavily criticized during her poor performances. With time she has now become a lot more mature than she was a few years ago. In this match against Badosa, we saw Coco Gauff struggling with 41 unforced errors including 6 double faults and 28 missed forehands. Gauff couldn’t break a point until late in the second set, allowing Paula Badosa to capitalize and advance to her maiden Grand Slam SF.

After seeing her poor performance in this match, some of the critics highlighted that her forehand and double fault issues might have just resurfaced yet again. Do these types of criticisms affect her personally? Well, in reply to this Coco Gauff was recently heard saying, “You just have to realize that most of the internet coaches never coached anyone at my level or never played…If people want to say things, it’s what it’s. I take it with a grain of salt…I’m proud of myself and that’s all I can say.“

She further added, “So, it’s one of those things that it’s easier to look on the outside. You know, all those things when you’re playing and you’re commentating and you’ll hear some – not commentating but just people saying, ‘Oh she should have made this’ or ‘he should have made that.’ Even when I’m watching I do that, but obviously, when you’re out there, it’s different.” After seeing this stern message from her daughter Candi Gauff shared a post on her IG stories highlighting Gauff’s comment with the caption, “@cocogauff any questions?” Coco Gauff’s bond with her mother is pretty special, they are often seen having fun with each other.

Coco Gauff has often spoken about her parent’s incredible support in her tennis journey. In one instance she said, “Both my parents are constant support all the time. My mom, it’s just a motherly thing. There’s nothing like a mother-daughter relationship. Especially in swings like Asia where it maybe is more isolated than usual, we just play Uno lot.” In May 2024, during an interview Coco Gauff spoke about how her mother’s presence helps her during the Tour. She even hails her mother as her “biggest fan”! Is it the first time, though that we’ve seen Coco Gauff taking a jibe at her haters? Definitely not, but has she come up with any specific methods to stay away from those negativities?

“Block it” – Coco Gauff discussing her approach to haters

Seeing success at a very early age brings in expectations. Those expectations can later on turn into disappointments and whenever Coco Gauff has struggled with her performance, she has received quite a few backlashes on social media. Talking about all these things during an interview in November 2024, the American said, “I honestly think maybe just because of how I entered the scene—people are very critical of me. I take it as a compliment. Maybe they’re critical about people that they feel like can do better, so I just try to be better.“

Previously during an interview at the US Open, Coco Gauff shared her strategy for blocking out hate. She said, “I’m not entitled to read negative things about myself. Just as you’re entitled to write that, I’m entitled to block it.” Coco Gauff even joked about how swiftly she blocks people on X, “They are, like, ‘You say anything, and she blocks.’ Yes, I do. I don’t want to see it, so bye.” Apart from blocking, there is another way Coco Gauff loves silencing her haters. What’s it, though?

Well, that’s by winning titles! After winning the 2024 WTA Finals, we saw her share a post with the caption, “muah. Also, I know tend to focus on “doubters/haters” but this one is really for all of my supporters! Ya’ll held it down for me win or lose! I thank you for that. I see you and I appreciate you. And I know some of you are a little bit petty like me so it does feel nice to silence them for a bit.“

What else did Coco Gauff say after this disappointing ending to her campaign at the 2025 AO, though? Well, shortly after losing the match against Badosa, the American said that she feels she is on the right path. She feels she’s on the “upward trajectory“, however at the same time, she believes there is a lot more work that still needs to be done to reach where she wants to be. Do you think Coco Gauff will win her second major title in 2025?