Tennis Star Coco Gauff Receiving Awful Messages After Semifinal Loss

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Feb 21, 2026 3:06 PM ET

American tennis star Coco Gauff has unfortunately received a ton of backlash this week on social media.

Elina Svitolina defeated Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (13), 6-4 in the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Friday. It was an epic battle between two of the top 10 players on the WTA Tour. This was the second time in the past month that Gauff and Svitolina faced each other. Svitolina also won their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open.

Following her heartbreaking loss to Svitolina on Friday, Gauff posted an uplifting message on Instagram.

"Left it all out there yesterday," Gauff wrote on Instagram. "Didn’t get the result I wanted but man that was so much fun. Battles like this make it worth it, a lot to learn from. Thank you, Dubai."

Apparently, several tennis fans weren't pleased with Gauff's performance, which is why they sent harsh messages to her online. Some even wrote that she should leave the WTA Tour for good.

Jan 27, 2026; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Coco Gauff of United States in action against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the quarterfinals of the women’s singles at the Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images© Mike Frey-Imagn Images.

"No need to watch 2nd set. You will 100% lost this match," one person wrote on Gauff's Instagram post. "Serve like an amateur."

"Nothing but unforced errors, double faults, lack of desire, and likely match fixing," a second person said.

"Please leave tennis," an Instagram user wrote. "3 consecutive double faults, never saw that before! Embarrassing."

"How can you still be number 5 Coco just leave tennis pls," another person commented.

Coco Gauff after hitting a double fault against Elina Svitolina in Dubai

"I've been doing everything you've wanted for the last 6 months..."

This is presumably to her biomechanics expert, Gavin MacMillan, who she hired before the US Open last season to help with her serve. pic.twitter.com/eobBoCyHDP
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 20, 2026

Looking ahead for Coco.

Gauff, the No. 4 player in the world, is expected to compete at the Indian Wells Open this March. That'll be a great opportunity for her to bounce back and claim a WTA 1000 singles title.

If Gauff wants to win a major title this year, she'll need to dramatically improve her serve. She's had 36 double faults in just her last three matches.

Hopefully, Gauff silences her critics over the next few months.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: