Doha delivered an upset with a side of humility.
Elisabetta Cocciaretto, the world No. 57, knocked out Coco Gauff with a straight sets win, 6-4, 6-2, advancing to the third round and prompting clear takeaways for both players about form and momentum.
Elisabetta Cocciaretto: A Statement Win
It was an honour to share the court with her today.
Elisabetta Cocciaretto
Cocciaretto played with calm aggression to close out the match in straight sets, converting the sort of win that can shift a season when confidence is fragile and expectations are low for the underdog.
This victory was significant because Gauff had taken their previous three meetings without dropping a set, so Cocciaretto’s Doha result represented a genuine reversal and an important career milestone.
The Italian pointed to match rhythm from earlier in the year as part of the reason behind her breakthrough, and she singled out a heavy run of matches that left her feeling prepared for Doha.
“I came into this week just trying to get as many matches as possible under my belt,” Cocciaretto said afterwards, and she reminded reporters that she had played 10 straight matches in Hobart, which helped fuel her confidence.
She even suggested the Winter Games atmosphere had given her a lift, noting there was something about that part of the calendar that had her feeling unusually good on court heading into Doha.
Where Things Stand For Coco Gauff
The result continued a tricky start to 2026 for Gauff, who saw Team USA fall short in the United Cup defence and then exited the Australian Open in the quarterfinals, leaving questions about timing and consistency.
After the Doha loss the 21-year-old tried to keep perspective while admitting she had not played well in her most recent two matches, and she said she wanted to learn rather than overreact to an early exit.
“I mean, I was really confident to start the year off, so I don’t really know if it’s that,” Gauff said, and she added, “Today I was feeling good going into the match, and confident,” stressing a desire to figure out what went wrong.
One silver lining Gauff highlighted was her serve. She told reporters, “Yeah, I thought my serve was pretty good today,” and noted that handling the serving margin better had been a clear positive amid a disappointing result.
Gauff also flagged that she produced only three double faults in the match, which she saw as progress compared with past issues, even if groundstroke consistency still cost her several important points.
Doha has been an awkward venue for Gauff: this defeat makes it four straight losses at the Qatar Open, and her last win in the event came more than 1,000 days ago, underlining a strange run of results in the Middle East.
Those Doha setbacks join other surprise defeats this swing, including losses to Marta Kostyuk, Katerina Siniakova and Veronika Kudermetova, matches many would have pencilled in as winnable for someone of Gauff’s level.
Still, there is an immediate chance to regroup because the Dubai Tennis Championships kick off mid-February and the American will be back as the top-ranked American when the next WTA rankings are released, so the calendar gives her a quick reset.
For Cocciaretto the Doha win offers momentum and belief, while Gauff will be focused on translating serve improvements into better groundstroke consistency in Dubai, where the draw and conditions offer a fresh test.
Expect headlines to follow both players over the next few weeks; Cocciaretto will try to turn a scalp into sustained momentum and Gauff will try to remind everyone why she is a multiple Grand Slam champion and a genuine top contender.
Either way, Doha served up a tidy reminder of tennis’s uncomfortable truth: form fluctuates, monsters of confidence can arrive overnight, and on any week the underdog can make a headline out of a tidy performance.
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Christoph Friedrich is a German tennis player and coach currently residing in Oakland, California. He began his tennis journey at the age of eight and has since dedicated his life to the sport. After working as a tennis coach and hitting partner in New York City for eight years, Christoph decided to share his knowledge and experience with tennis players around the world by creating the My Tennis Expert blog. His goal is to make tennis education accessible to everyone and help players select the best equipment for their game, from racquets and strings to shoes and overgrips. Christoph's extensive research and expertise in tennis technology make him a valuable resource for players of all levels.
