Coco Gauff arrives in Stuttgart with clarity rather than expectation. The American is not chasing immediate results but shaping a build-up—one designed to peak where it matters most, in Paris.
The reigning Roland-Garros champion returns to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix fully aware that it has rarely been her most comfortable stop. This time, she is leaning into that discomfort.
“I’m happy to be back here in Stuttgart,” she said. “Practice has been good so far, so hopefully I can start the clay season strong.”
An early test on unfamiliar clay
Stuttgart’s indoor clay remains an outlier on the calendar, and Gauff did not shy away from calling it what it is—a challenge.
“The clay here is unique. It’s a bit slippery, so it’s tough to adjust,” she explained. “And the indoor aspect is something I usually only see at the end of the year, so it’s definitely different.”
If anything, that difficulty is part of the appeal.
“It’s probably the tournament where I feel least comfortable on clay,” she admitted. “But I think it’s good to start with something more challenging—it makes the rest of the season feel a bit easier.”
Process over pressure
With a French Open title to defend, external expectations are inevitable. Gauff, however, is deliberately stepping away from that narrative.
“My goals are to focus on the game plan my coaches and I have worked on, and to prioritise that over results,” she said. “I’ve been in this position before at Roland-Garros, and I was maybe a bit stressed.”
That lesson has shaped her approach this time around.
“It would be great to win it again, but I don’t want to put that pressure on myself. The most important thing is focusing on the process and trusting that the results will come.”
Trusting what already works
Her decision to play Stuttgart ahead of Madrid and Rome is not a deviation, but a continuation of a structure that has served her well.
“The most important thing is that I’ve always played well at Roland-Garros,” she noted. “In the last few years, it’s been semi-finals or better. The goal is to peak there.”
Even if Stuttgart has not historically delivered results, it remains part of that foundation.
“I like coming here. The tournament treats me well. Even if I don’t play great, I still enjoy it—and that matters.”
Miami, she added, was a reminder that patterns are not fixed.
“That was a tournament where I hadn’t done well before, and it turned around. Hopefully I can do the same here.”
The bigger picture
Asked about her chances in a field missing some of the very top names, Gauff kept her answer measured.
“I always feel like I have a chance, regardless of who’s in the draw,” she said. “But this is my first clay tournament of the year. I’m not really looking at it as a must-win—it’s more about building over the next few weeks.”
It is a perspective rooted in progression, not urgency.
Speaking up off court
Away from competition, Gauff also addressed growing concerns about player privacy, particularly around off-court filming.
“The biggest thing is having clear boundaries,” she said. “There are private moments we have. I pray before every match, and I’ve had to tell cameras not to film that.”
She believes the line is increasingly being crossed.
“We’re athletes, and we perform on court, but that doesn’t mean everything off court should be exposed. Zooming in on phones, reading messages—that goes too far.”
Margins at the top
Now firmly established among the elite, Gauff sees her next step not in overhaul, but refinement.
“It’s about being better in the big moments, especially in finals,” she said. “There are matches I can win with small improvements.”
Those margins, she believes, will define how close she gets to the very top.
“Serve, forehand, return—everything. I feel like I’m improving. I just want to be consistently better.”
An eye on what’s next
She also took time to highlight rising talent, singling out Eva Lys after practising together in Stuttgart.
“She stays really close to the baseline and doesn’t miss much,” Gauff said. “Her shots are very clean—she has a lot of potential.”
For Gauff, though, the focus remains inward. Stuttgart is a starting point—one that may feel uncomfortable, but intentionally so.