Why Andrea Petkovic wants tennis fans to reconsider how they view Coco Gauff after Miami Open

Andrea Petkovic identifies what makes Gauff so challenging to face on the court.

Coco Gauff has some noticeable flaws, but she remains one of the top talents on the WTA Tour.

While she hasn’t secured a title yet this year, her best run came at the Miami Open, where she reached the final. It’s not been an ideal start, but she’s still a player nobody enjoys facing.

Her serve remains a work in progress, but even so, Gauff consistently puts pressure on top players.

According to Andrea Petkovic, facing Gauff is always a tough task regardless of form.

Andrea Petkovic believes Coco Gauff doesn’t get enough credit from fans

Questions about Gauff’s serve have been hanging over her for more than a year now, though plenty of voices have pointed out just how strong other parts of her game remain.

Petkovic has added her name to that list, pointing out several areas where Gauff still excels at the highest level.

The German told The Big T: “Somehow I feel like she is underestimated because she has flaws in her game, but these flaws are in a way sometimes also strengths for her.

“I am taking away the serve, the serve arguably cost her the match in the final vs Aryna Sabalenka [in Miami].”

Drawing on personal experience, Petkovic explained just how effective certain aspects of the Americans’ game can be.

She went on: “I played her a couple of times and practiced with her often,” she continued. “The first time I practiced with her was on clay actually, which is probably her best surface if you take her game style, and probably the most difficult part playing her was off the backhand side, a very powerful and flat shot would come at you.

“But off the forehand side, a very different shot would, with a lot of spin, bounce and jump. It was very difficult to adjust so she has a natural change of rhythm in her game and just for those who have never played her and judge her sometimes from the outside…”

“I would not compare her with Angelique Kerber because I think Coco has a much longer career ahead of her.

“But with Angie it was similar that when you played her you would understand why she was so good and was number one in the world and won three majors, but when you watched from the outside you’d ask why.

“I want to urge the people to look at it from a perspective of it’s freaking difficult to play Coco Gauff and sometimes we underestimate her!”

Coco Gauff’s young age continues to go underappreciated by WTA fans despite her seven-year career

Despite having been part of the Tour for seven years already, she’s still only 22 years old – something that might explain why some fans don’t fully appreciate what she brings to the court.

Following a packed Sunshine Double, the WTA calendar now shifts away from Masters events until Madrid. Gauff, however, won’t be sitting idle for long. She’s set to appear at the Women’s Stuttgart Open.

The tournament starts on 13th April and will feature all of the world’s top five players competing on indoor clay.

Gauff has entered the Stuttgart draw each of the past four years but hasn’t managed a deep run yet. Her best showing was a quarter-final appearance in 2025 when she fell in straight sets to Jasmine Paolini.

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