Did Coco Gauff lose the Italian Open final because she was too nice? That’s the hot take coming from none other than Andy Roddick, who raised eyebrows by suggesting the American teen queen may have kept things chill on court… just to stay in the Roman crowd’s good graces.
Now, we’re all for sportsmanship — but this is a Grand Slam warm-up, not a charm school graduation. Gauff, usually full of fire and fist-pumps, seemed unusually muted as she racked up a painful 55 unforced errors and handed hometown hero Jasmine Paolini the win. Roddick suspects it was intentional: “Maybe she didn’t want to turn the crowd against her.” Translation? Coco might’ve played the diplomat when she should’ve gone full gladiator.
Sure, Rome’s crowd can be intense. And yes, Coco had already playfully stirred the pot earlier in the week with a pasta joke that earned her some boos. But when the trophy’s on the line? The only thing she should’ve been serving was heat — not humility.
Gauff’s got the goods to dominate. But if Roddick’s theory holds water, she may need to channel less “global sweetheart” and more “hardcore closer” if she wants to lift that silverware at Roland Garros.
Lesson for next time? The crowd can cheer who they want. Coco’s job is to win — and let the applause sort itself out later.
