Coco Gauff Falls to Belinda Bencic at BNP Paribas Open

Palm Springs, California — Coco Gauff, the top-ranked American woman and No. 3 seed, was eliminated from the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday by Belinda Bencic, losing a tightly contested Round of 16 match 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Gauff, who reached the semifinals of the tournament last year, had recently defeated two-time Indian Wells finalist Maria Sakkari earlier in the week, but her momentum was halted by Bencic, who entered as a wildcard qualifier.

The match proved to be a nail-biter, especially during the third set where both players held serve through the first eight games. A pivotal moment arose in the ninth game when Bencic overcame a 40-0 deficit to secure a break point against Gauff. She subsequently clinched the decisive game to finish the match.

Bencic, a former world No. 4 and Olympic gold medalist, expressed her satisfaction with the win, noting that the break point was a turning point in the match. “Obviously, it was great to be able then to serve at the match (with the score at) 5-4, and I felt like she was more tense, so I felt like that was the right time to go for her forehand,” she said.

After returning to the tour following the birth of her first child last spring, Bencic reflected on the challenges of returning to peak form. “The first times you try to practice, you’re like, ‘Oh my god,’” she said, acknowledging the difficulties of regaining her earlier fitness. “After having a very sporty body, and then just a huge belly, and then trying to come back and all your muscle mass is gone and everything. So you just really start from zero.”

Gauff, who entered the match with a 2-1 head-to-head advantage over Bencic, recognized the fine margins that determined the outcome. “Today the difference was (Bencic) was a bit more aggressive than I was,” Gauff stated. “In those moments in Australia, I stepped up my game to be more aggressive the last two sets, and she kind of did that to me today.”

Amid her struggle with serving, Gauff improved her consistency against Bencic after experiencing a significant number of double faults earlier in the tournament. “Hopefully, it can continue to do better from here,” she remarked. With the defeat, Gauff, who will turn 21 on Thursday, expressed her disappointment but looked to celebrate her birthday with family.

Bencic’s victory secures her a place in the quarterfinals, where she will face the winner of the match between No. 4 seed Madison Keys and No. 19 seed Donna Vekic.