Coco Gauff defends herself against critics after tough Indian Wells defeat to Belinda Bencic

Coco Gauff ended her Indian Wells campaign on Wednesday (March 12) after a three-set defeat to Belinda Bencic.

Coco Gauff defends herself against critics after tough Indian Wells defeat to Belinda Bencic

Belinda Bencic, Coco Gauff (Image via X)

Belinda Bencic came from a set down to upset World No.3 Coco Gauff with scores of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the fourth round which lasted for two hours and 20 minutes. This was Bencic’s first quarterfinals in WTA 1000 events since becoming a mother.

The former World No.4 gave birth to daughter Bella in April last year. Upon her comeback in October, she was not ranked. But the 28-year-old’s incredible campaigns took her to the No.58 spot, and she’ll become World No.50 when the rankings get updated next week.

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Gauff, however, is dealing with a rough patch. She started the season at the United Cup, helping Team USA win the final; following which, she was knocked out of the Australian Open quarterfinals.

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The 21-year-old then had forgetful campaigns in the Middle East Swing, as she got knocked out of her opening round matches in both Doha and Dubai. She then almost registered three back-to-back defeats if she lost the Indian Wells opener against Moyuka Uchijima. Amidst her poor run of forms, Gauff backed herself.

I mean, overall I feel like, I mean, it’s not as bad as it seems, I guess. Start of the year, I did well at United Cup and lost to Paula [Badosa] fourth round in Australia. Middle East wasn’t a great swing for me. Here, I mean, I lost 6-4 in the third in the fourth round against a tough opponent who’s coming off a 500 win.

Coco Gauff said at the press conference

Coco Gauff focusing more on Grand Slam titles than rankings

Coco Gauff is the American No.1 player but for her, the achievement is “absolutely nothing“. She has never reached the No.1 rankings on the WTA Tour and is a former World No.2, which she became in June last year.

Coco Gauff (2)
Coco Gauff (Image via X)

For Gauff, her main goal is to win Grand Slam titles. She won her first Major at the 2023 US Open but wasn’t successful in those events last year.

I’ve never been a rankings girl. Really, I want to just win Grand Slams. My dad always said, ‘The number, the ranking will come with the Slams’. So I think for me, I’m looking more at winning Slams. And if I win a Slam this year and don’t become number one, I will be satisfied. I’ll be more satisfied than if I became number one and didn’t win a Slam.

Coco Gauff told Roland Garros

Gauff is a finalist at the 2022 French Open where she lost to Iga Swiatek in straight sets. She made it to the Australian Open semifinal last year; while at Wimbledon, the youngster has never progressed beyond the fourth round.

Gauff last won a singles title at the 2024 WTA Finals. The American is a semifinalist at Indian Wells, having reached the last four in 2024. She will next focus on winning the Miami Open which starts on March 18.

Belinda Bencic secures second top 5 win after beating Coco Gauff

Belinda Bencic is searching for his second title of the season after winning the Abu Dhabi Open last month. With her win over Coco Gauff, the 2021 Olympic gold medalist registered her second top 5 wins in 2025 following her triumph over Elena Rybakina in the Abu Dhabi semifinals.

Belinda Bencic
Belinda Bencic (Image via X)

This is the second time in a row that a player, who received a wild card and returned from maternity leave, progressed into the Indian Wells quarterfinals after Caroline Wozniacki in 2024. The 28-year-old has now become a two-time Indian Wells quarterfinalist after 2019 when she reached the last four. She will next lock horns with reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys.