Coco Gauff's Flawless Paris Olympics Record Belies On-Court Struggles

Coco Gauff is excelling at the Paris Olympics, securing a 6-1, 6-1 win over Maria Lourdes Carle of Argentina in the second round of singles on Monday. Despite having more than twice as many unforced errors (26) as winners (11), Gauff's performance remains impressive. Her first serve percentage was only 55%, and she recorded six double-faults with no aces.

Gauff, the reigning U.S. Open champion and currently ranked No. 2, took nearly 1.5 hours to defeat Carle, who is ranked 85th and has never won a tour-level singles title. "You can't argue with the scoreline, to be honest," said the 20-year-old American. Indeed, her results speak for themselves.

Gauff's Dominance in Singles and Doubles

At her first Olympics, Gauff has a perfect record of 3-0 in both singles and doubles, partnering with Jessica Pegula. She has lost only nine games across six sets in these three matches. "I knew that she was just going to probably try to out-rally me, which I feel like is one of my strengths," Gauff said about her match against Carle. "But also I had the ability to be aggressive."

Gauff aims to win three medals at her debut Games—in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles with partner Taylor Fritz. Since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988, no player has won medals in all three events at a single Games.

Handling Heat and Fatigue

The heat rose into the 80s Fahrenheit for the first time during the Paris Games on Monday, but it did not bother Gauff. Being from Florida, she is accustomed to such conditions. She used ice-filled towels during changeovers and took an ice bath after the match to stay cool.

"I'm just trying my best to be preventative before maybe I feel fatigue and everything," Gauff said. "Obviously, my last two matches, I went quick. So I'm just trying to think for the future, towards the end of the tournament."

Gauff's familiarity with Carle from their junior days helped her balance aggression and mistakes during their match. "I think I was just trying to balance the mistakes and not let her win a lot of points off my racket," she explained.

Gauff's performance so far at the Paris Olympics highlights her potential for multiple medals and underscores her resilience and strategic play on the court.