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A frustrated Coco Gauff broke down in tears after her heartbreaking exit from the 2023 Australian Open on Sunday.
Gauff's run in the first Major of the year came to an end in the fourth round, where she was defeated in straight sets by former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko. The Latvian won a tight battle 7-5, 6-3 in an hour and 33 minutes at the Margaret Court Arena to reach the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park for the first time.
Seventh seed Gauff was the overwhelming favorite heading into the match, having won seven straight matches, including a title run at the ASB Classic in Auckland, but Ostapenko simply proved to be too good for her on the day.
Gauff was unable to contain her tears as she discussed the loss in her post-match press conference. The 18-year-old, however, quickly collected herself and stated while weeping:
"When you play a player like her and she plays really well, it’s like, you know, there’s nothing you can do. I feel like today I would say nothing because every match you play a part in, but I feel like it was rough. So it's a little bit frustrating on that part."
"I think it gives me a chance to still be around" - Coco Gauff on playing doubles with Jessica Pegula
Coco Gauff stated that despite her loss in the singles, she is excited to continue her run in doubles with partner Jessica Pegula since it will allow her to be around in the tournament. The pair advanced to the third round of the doubles, where they will face Miyu Kato and Aldila Sutjiadi on Monday.
"I'm excited to play doubles. I think it gives me a chance to still be around, and I definitely enjoy just competing in general. So I think it will help me regardless of tomorrow, just let me play with some frustration," Gauff said.
The American went on to say that doubles has taught her how to cope after losing and how to play with frustration, which is exactly what she needs at the moment.
"I think doubles has taught me how to play, after losing, how to play with frustration, and that's what I felt like today. I was frustrated. So I feel like it will help me in the future. You know, bouncing back from a loss is difficult in a Grand Slam, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow," Coco Gauff said.
She further stated that she is happy and rooting for her compatriot Pegula, who is still competing in singles.
"I hope that I can help her, and I hope that she continues well in the tournament now that I'm out (smiling). I hope she wins it. I knew we would probably face each other if we both kept winning. Yeah, I'm rooting for her all the way," she added.
