Coco Gauff reaches the Miami Open final for the first time, advancing beyond the fourth round despite an arm injury that forced her withdrawal from Indian Wells. The No. 4 seed nearly skipped the event on her team's advice but chose to compete before the home crowd in Florida. She falls to Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 but emerges with renewed confidence.

Emotional Runner-Up Speech

In her post-match speech at Hard Rock Stadium, Gauff shares tears of joy and highlights the positives of her unexpected deep run. She tears up on the bench right after the loss, describing it as overwhelming gratitude rather than defeat.

“I think I can talk down on myself and things like that, but in that moment… An athlete that I was inspired by at the Winter Olympics was Alysa Liu, and I had the mindset today that regardless of what happens, you lose, but there is no real loss in the situation,” Gauff says.

“I was just looking at my box and seeing all my family and friends, and hearing them in the crowd, and I know how much they supported me just to be on this stage, so I was just thinking more gratitude and things like that,” she adds.

Mindset Shift Post-Defeat

The two-time Grand Slam champion acknowledges initial regret but views the final appearance as a major win amid injury setbacks. “It is a mindset shift, because obviously as soon as you lose a final, it's tough,” Gauff notes. “You could see on the bench before, I was just thinking about the match and replaying all the points. Then after, it's over, you just learn from it. I'm grateful, because I didn't think to be here, and I'm here, and I know I can repeat this and come home with a bigger trophy, and I feel confident in that.”

Trusting Instincts Over Perfect Prep

Gauff adapts to imperfect preparations caused by a nerve issue in her arm, rain delays, and limited practice. She relies on years of hard work and experience. “Sometimes, I feel like for me to do well in the tournament, my preparation has to be perfect because I'm someone that prides myself in it,” she explains. “But also, I know that the years and years of work don't come undone in one week, so I think sometimes I feel like I can enter tournaments and not just have a great practice week and think I lost my tennis. That's not the case. Actually, I was practising good this week, but it was limited practice, given the rain and injury.”