Coco Gauff admits there are times when her achievements in tennis don’t feel real and she even doubts her position as one of the world’s best female players.
At the age of 22, Gauff has already won 11 WTA titles, including the French Open and US Open. She is currently ranked fourth in the WTA rankings, but has been as high as No.2. In 2025, she finished the season in the world’s top three for the third consecutive year, becoming the youngest woman this century to do so.
Gauff is currently playing at the Miami Open, where she has battled through four three-set matches en route to the quarter-finals. Her latest triumph was over Belinda Bencic, whom she ousted 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 after spending more than two hours on the court. Speaking to reporters afterwards, the American opened up about dealing with her position in the sport.
“I think I have to believe that I belong where I am. Sometimes I can get imposter syndrome,” she said.
“Even when they’re saying my accomplishments when I walk, or during the warm-up, it doesn’t feel like me. And I’m like, “Oh, actually, I do have a good career.”
“But it doesn’t feel like that sometimes in the moment, because you’re working on things.”
Imposter syndrome occurs when somebody doesn’t feel as successful or competent as others make them out to be. Gauff links her experience of this feeling to her serve, which has caused her trouble in recent months. According to statistics from Flashscore, she has produced a combined 30 double faults so far in Miami this year, but more than half of them (19) were during her first two matches.
“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,” she continued.
“My coaches have been reminding me to remember who you are, and you’re a good player.
“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.”
As for the physical side, Gauff says her recent arm issue is improving, and she is feeling less pain. Earlier this month, she retired from a match in Indian Wells due to the problem, which was later confirmed to be related to a nerve in the area.
“It’s way better than Indian Wells, where I was feeling it on everything, and then here (in Miami) it is sporadically,” she said of her arm.
“I definitely think it’s trending in the right direction. It’s not to the point where I think it’s affecting my play.”
Gauff will next play Czech 13th seed Karolina Muchova.
