Coco Gauff Mentions the Olympian Who Inspired Her During Miami Open Run

There is a brutally honest reality to professional tennis: almost every single player leaves the tournament a loser. For Coco Gauff, the 2026 Miami Open ended with a runner-up plate and a three-set loss to world number one Aryna Sabalenka. But if the fans listened to Gauff speak after the match, they wouldn’t have heard the familiar echoes of a crushed competitor.

They would have heard a young woman figuring out how to survive the mental meat grinder of elite sports. So, where did this newfound zen come from? It wasn’t a tennis legend but an Olympic figure skater, Alysa Liu. Gauff said in her post-tournament press conference:

I think I can talk down on myself, but in that moment…you know an athlete that I was inspired by at the Winter Olympics was Alysa Liu. I had the mindset today that it doesn’t matter what happens, you lose but there’s no real loss in this situation. I was just looking at my box and seeing all my family and friends and hearing them in the crowd, I know how much they supported me to be on this stage, so I was just thinking more gratitude and things like that.

Gauff explained how watching Liu and snowboarder Chloe Kim during the Winter Olympics fundamentally changed her perspective on competition. She watched Liu fall on the biggest stage in the world, get back up, and just smile. She added:

It is a mindset shift, because as soon as you lose a final it’s tough. You can see on the bench before, I was thinking about the match and replaying all the points. Then after it’s over you just learn from it and yeah I’m grateful, because I didn’t think I’d be here and I’m here, and I know that I can repeat this and come with the bigger trophy, and I feel confident in that.

She adopted Liu’s mindset that there is “no real loss” if one takes the lesson and moves forward. For a player carrying the weight of American tennis on her shoulders, that mental shift is worth its weight in gold.

The Aryna Sabalenka showdown and a shift in perspective

In the final, Aryna Sabalenka brought her trademark baseline thunder. She stormed through the first set 6-2, threatening to blow Gauff right off the court.

But Gauff dug her heels in, grinding out the second set 6-4 before ultimately running out of gas in the third. It was a heavyweight clash, and there is no shame in losing a tight third set to the best player on the planet.

During the trophy presentation, the emotions spilled over. Gauff grabbed the microphone, and instead of delivering the standard, robotic runner-up clichés, she gave the crowd a piece of her soul.

She admitted that she usually acts as her own worst critic. She confessed to a nasty habit of talking herself down after tough losses. But not this time. This time, she felt nothing but gratitude.

What this means for Coco Gauff heading into clay season

Looking ahead, Coco Gauff is going to need every ounce of that mental toughness. The tennis calendar is notoriously unforgiving, and the grueling European clay-court swing is right around the corner.

Starting at the Stuttgart Open in mid-April, Gauff has a mountain of ranking points to defend. We are talking about 3,408 points spread across massive events in Rome, Madrid, and a title defense at the French Open. A bad month on the dirt could send her tumbling down the rankings.

But let’s look at the bright side. Her gritty run in Miami bumps her back up to World No. 3. She knows her game is clicking, and more importantly, she knows her mind is in the right place.

If Gauff can carry this Alysa Liu-inspired joy into the grind of the clay season, the rest of the tour is in serious trouble. She isn’t just growing into a better tennis player; she’s growing into a resilient, self-aware adult.

Also Read: Martina Navratilova Drops the Hammer on Tiger Woods Following Shocking DUI Arrest

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