Gauff Battles Self-Doubt While Advancing to Miami Open Semifinals

Coco Gauff stood in the tunnel leading to Hard Rock Stadium's center court, listening to the familiar litany of her professional accomplishments echo through the speakers. Two-time Grand Slam champion. World number four. Eleven-time title winner with over $31 million in prize money. Yet in that moment, an unexpected realization struck her.

"Oh, actually, I do have a good career," the 22-year-old reflected, revealing the profound self-doubt that continues to plague even elite athletes at tennis's highest level.

Gauff's candid admission of impostor syndrome came following her hard-fought victory over Belinda Bencic in the Miami Open quarterfinals, a match that perfectly encapsulated her ongoing internal struggle between achievement and self-perception.

"Sometimes I can get imposter syndrome," Gauff explained during her late-night press conference. "Especially with my serve, it just feels like I don't know that I shouldn't be where I am. But tennis doesn't lie. The ball doesn't lie. So I just have to believe in myself."

The battle against Bencic showcased both Gauff's technical challenges and remarkable resilience. After dominating the first set, she lost control in the second as the Swiss player's rolling, short-hop groundstrokes created nightmarish conditions. Falling behind early in the decisive third set, Gauff faced the familiar specter of doubt that has haunted her recent performances.

However, her response demonstrated the championship mentality that has defined her career's biggest moments. Recognizing that extended rallies favored her superior fitness, Gauff deliberately shifted tactics to turn the match into a physical battle on her terms.

"I felt pretty confident on my end that I could outlast her physically," Gauff stated, highlighting the strategic thinking that separates champions from talented players who struggle in crucial moments.

The victory's climactic point perfectly illustrated Gauff's current relationship with instinct versus overthinking. Despite telling herself beforehand to avoid drop shots after struggling with them against Sorana Cîrstea, she instinctively deployed the very shot she had banned from her tactical repertoire.

"Sometimes you just play tennis and you're not even thinking," Gauff reflected afterward. "It's the best when you play when you're not thinking."

Gauff's psychological journey traces back to her technical reconstruction following last year's French Open triumph. After capturing her second Grand Slam title with improved serving mechanics, her game deteriorated significantly during the grass and hard court seasons. A devastating first-round Wimbledon loss triggered a downward spiral that included tearful moments at the US Open.

Seeking solutions, Gauff enlisted biomechanist Gavin MacMillan, who had successfully rebuilt Aryna Sabalenka's serve, to address fundamental mechanical issues. The ongoing reconstruction process has created daily uncertainty about her most crucial weapon.

"From match to match, even set to set and game to game, she has no idea if it will be there," observed one tennis insider familiar with Gauff's situation.

The serve struggles extend to basic fundamentals: consistent ball tosses and maintaining proper head position through contact. These elementary concerns for a player of Gauff's caliber underscore the psychological toll of technical deconstruction and rebuilding.

Despite these challenges, Gauff maintains a 15-5 record this season, with only seven women posting better starts to 2026. However, her perception remains skewed toward disappointment rather than achievement.

"My coaches have been reminding me: 'Remember who you are, and you're a good player,'" Gauff revealed. "And I think they've been putting that into my head. And at moments I believe it and at moments I don't. So I'm just trying to believe it more."

Gauff's semifinal opponent, Karolina Muchova, presents both opportunity and challenge. While Gauff leads their head-to-head series 5-0, including a three-set Australian Open victory in January, Muchova arrives with perfect 18-0 record against non-top-three opponents this year.

"It's just who can outthink the other in the 30-all or deuce point," Gauff analyzed. "That's really how I view matches when I play someone over and over."

The Miami Open represents more than tournament success for Gauff – it offers validation in her hometown environment surrounded by family and friends. The psychological comfort of familiar surroundings could provide the confidence boost needed to silence her inner critic.

Gauff's struggle mirrors experiences shared by tennis legends like Rafael Nadal, who frequently discussed doubt as a driving force throughout his 22 Grand Slam career. As former world number one Jim Courier observed, "Doubt is what drives you. It's what keeps you sharp."

For Gauff, Thursday's semifinal represents another opportunity to prove that tennis indeed doesn't lie – and neither do results that speak louder than internal doubts.