This is how Gauff prepares for an opponent she has never lost to

Fernando Murciego | 17 Apr 2026 | 11.00

This is how Gauff prepares for an opponent against whom she has never lost. Source: Getty

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🎾 Karolina Muchova vs Coco Gauff

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Last night at the WTA 500 in Stuttgart, Cori Gauff won her first match of the year on clay. It took a long time, but this wait was worth it. Her journey to defending the throne at Roland Garros has already begun.

Ten months later, Cori Gauff finally played an official match on clay again. The Roland Garros champion has reached a crucial point in her season, which is why she debuted with a victory against Samsonova yesterday and is already in the quarterfinals. It is in the American's best interest to stand out this quarter, so now a match against Karolina Muchova wouldn't hurt, with whom she holds a tremendous 6-0 H2H advantage. Will history repeat itself in Germany? These were her words in her press meeting.

Analysis of her victory over Samsonova

"It's like I've just returned after starting a bit slow, although I thought I served quite well, hitting seven aces, which is good for me. There are many positive aspects to take from this match, especially from the second set, where I played nearly perfect tennis. Now that I think about it, I started a bit passively, too much so, but it was because the balls were landing very short in the court. The next match will surely have a faster pace from the beginning, I don't know what will happen, but what happened today will help me be more confident tomorrow."

Cori Gauff gets ready to play against her favorite victim

"Honestly, I haven't talked to my team about this match yet, although I imagine it will be a showdown like the last time because the surface is different. She made it to the final of Roland Garros, so she is a great player on clay courts. I still don't know how I will approach her tomorrow, maybe I'll watch some of her clay matches, although I really only have two to watch from this year. Every time I face these H2Hs where I've never lost a match, I try to approach them as if it's something new because I know my opponents will try something new compared to last time."

Pressure before heading to Roland Garros

"It will be the first time being a defending champion in Paris, so it's normal to feel a bit favored, or at least one of them. My goals in this tournament? Find my rhythm, try to break the curse I have with this tournament. I already broke it in Miami, so I hope to do it here as well. I also don't have high expectations for this tournament because it's not clay that suits my game too much. Perhaps it suits the big hitters better, those who hit flatter indoors, so I am happy with my result today."

Cori Gauff debuts with victory on the clay tour. Source: Getty

Service improvement process

"I made some changes, and now I think I'm better. I mean, today I served quite well, although there were also moments of a double fault, but I think they were only five. They could have been three, of course, I should have come out of this match with a 4-0 much faster. I am pleased with how I served today; it gave me many free points, especially with my service turns."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Así se prepara Gauff ante una rival contra la que nunca perdió