It seems like the storm clouds just won’t clear for Coco Gauff. The young American tennis sensation, who once captured the world’s attention with her fearless performances, is now facing a string of setbacks that are hard to ignore. As the tennis season shifts to the hard courts of the American swing, hopes were high for Gauff to regain her momentum. But, in a shocking turn of events, she was defeated by Russia’s Diana Shnaider in the third round, 6-4, 6-1.

The latest defeat is more than scoreboards for the American sensation as it also shakes her confidence ahead of the US Open. Amidst the existing chaos, Gauff has failed to gain any sympathy from her fans as well, as tennis enthusiasts have joined in to express their disappointment over her latest performances. 

Taking to Twitter, tennis commentator and journalist Jose Morgado shared the information about the match and praised Shnaider. “Diana Shnaider, very good at tennis, easily beats top seed Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-1 to reach the QFs in Toronto,” he wrote. Remember, this was the first Top 10 for the Russian star, who left the World No. 2 baffled after the match.

Gauff looked upset as she failed to solve Shnaider’s dominance. While the first set was competitive to some extent, the second witnessed Gauff only giving away points. This performance, meanwhile, has led to a huge displeasure amongst fans who are slamming the star player on Social Media. 

‘Coco Gauff needs a new team,’ fans react sharply to Gauff’s defeat

As soon as Gauff lost in straight sets, X was flooded with critics of the American player. Taking to the platform, one user highlighted the change which Gauff must ponder upon. “Coco Gauff needs a new team. It’s been 8 months and her form and frame of mind have regressed considerably. This is painful.” Gauff’s recent performance also speaks similarly.

The American star’s last major victory in singles came in the 2023 US Open. Since then, she has failed to achieve something grand, except for the French Open doubles alongside Katerina Siniakova. The tennis star failed miserably at Wimbledon and the recently concluded Paris Olympics as well, where she was one of the favorite title contenders. The series of backlashes continued. 

Another user wrote, “Coco Gauff… I will NEVER understand how you won DC, Cinci, and that US Open all in a row…That one month of strong tennis must be studied. Her backhand is very good and one of the best movers on tour. But my gosh her forehand is HORRENDOUS!” Gauff seemed to be at her peak during the American swing last year. But she has failed to reciprocate it this season so far. Besides, her forehand has continued be take center stage for her critics. 

Gauff is believed to have an average forehand primarily due to a poor grip. This makes it difficult for her to play powerful shots. Her service has also been impacted due to this reason, which she worked on ahead of the 2024 season. Gauff rushed to compatriot Andy Roddick for help with her serve and came out pretty confident. But, the improvements do not seem to give her enough success yet. More users joined the fray to lash at the star player. 

Responding to some tweets, one user wrote, “I hope Coco Gauff has a sport psychologist in her team bc this year has been tuff 🙁.” Gauff has faced serious heartbreaks this year. Playing against Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals, Gauff was seen crying uncontrollably. While she was trying to get her claw back on the match, a judgment from the umpire marred her campaign. In the second, Swiatek’s serve was called out just as Gauff hit her return long. When the umpire overruled the call and awarded the point to Swiatek, Gauff furiously insisted that she hit her return after the ball had already been called out. A similar incident followed at the Paris Olympics when Donna Vekic handed her a baffling defeat in the third round. 

A similar response was drawn from another user who wrote, “@CocoGauff  is turning into the Tiafoe off the WTA. If her opponent is ranked in the 20s, Coco can’t beat them. Her true ranking is probably in the 50s.” The 20-year-old had earlier revealed that she was not prepared for the tournament. She highlighted her indifference during the pre-tournament presses concerning her aspirations for the tournaments. “I have no expectations for this week. I am not going into this expecting to win or anything.” She shared a realistic ordeal, continuing further. “I was on clay three days ago, so overall, I’m just trying to use this to see where I’m at and what I need to do to get ready for the US Open.” 

Another user expressed dissatisfaction over Gauff’s latest performances. “folks will lie to you and tell you that coco gauff is elite.” But Gauff is known for her resilience. As the series of heartbreak continues, it would be interesting to see if the American star can come out of this losing streak and defend her title at the US Open. Will she be able to go big, or will she go home?