Coco Gauff explains how Rafael Nadal changed her mindset

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Coco Gauff explains how Rafael Nadal changed her mindset

Originally posted on HITC | By George Patten | Last updated May 7, 2026 3:40 PM ET

Coco Gauff moved into the third round of the Italian Open after a straight-sets win over Tereza Valentova, 6-3, 6-4.

The American wasn’t at her sharpest, and she drew some criticism for how she reacted to a double fault in the opening set.

But despite not being at her best, Gauff managed to pull through and book her place in the next round.

Afterwards, she spoke about a quote from Rafael Nadal that has influenced her approach.

Rafael Nadal’s quote helps Coco Gauff remain focused on the present

Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images

Speaking after her win, Gauff was asked if she’s using Rome as a springboard for Roland Garros.

“Obviously it would be great to have a deep run, to have some momentum before Roland Garros,” she said. “But every tournament is new, and you know the Rafa [Nadal] quote, what happened in Madrid, happened in Madrid, and we are in Rome, and then we will be in Paris.

“I think I live by that quote because you can have an alright season; tennis is funny. All it takes is one good week and your season can go from bad to good.”

Nadal was often questioned about his form during that stretch but responded with one of the most iconic quotes in tennis.

“What happened in Monte Carlo happened, what happened in Barcelona happened, and what happened in Madrid happened, and here we are. We are in Rome,” he said at the time.

Nadal didn’t lose another match on clay that year, going on to win both the Italian Open and French Open titles.

Liam Broady not surprised by Coco Gauff’s display in Rome debut

After the match, Broady spoke about what he saw from Gauff and how she can improve as the tournament goes on.

“It’s something that Coco Gauff does often. She can start off tournaments pretty rusty, but as she gets going and builds momentum and grows into tournaments, she can be very dangerous to stop,” he said.

“She’ll be breathing a sigh of relief tonight; that could have got very sticky at times.

“[Tereza] Valentova, as we know, is a very talented tennis player. I think she’ll be a little bit disappointed that she didn’t do a bit better in that second set and take advantage of Coco.”

Gauff admitted during her post-match interview that it wasn’t her best showing, but was happy to get through.

“I had a couple of game points, and I just didn’t really take them,” said Gauff.

Gauff will now play either Solana Sierra or Anhelina Kalinina in the third round.

The American leads both head-to-heads 1-0 and 4-0 respectively, so will enter as the clear favourite to advance to the last 16.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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