Lucky Loser Cocciaretto Stuns Gauff in Doha Upset – Tennis Now
By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Photo credit: ASB Classic Facebook
The lucky loser was a willful winner in Doha.
In her Doha debut, lucky loser Elisabetta Cocciaretto stunned fourth-seeded Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 to storm into the Qatar Total Energies Open third round.
It is Cocciaretto’s first win over Gauff in four meetings and her third career Top 10 victory.
“It’s incredible,” Cocciaretto said in her on-court interview. “The tournament here it’s an honor to be here. She’s a really great player, a great person, so it was an honor to share the court with her today.
“I’m really happy to be in the next round here in Doha and play in front of you guys again.”
Cocciaretto gained entry into the Doha main draw when American McCartney Kessler withdrew with a low back injury and she’s intent on making the most of this opportunity.
World No. 57 Cocciaretto, who captured her maiden Tour-level title in Hobart last month, dictated many of the baseline exchanges, asserted her aggression on key points and drained 39 errors from the world No. 5.
Cocciaretto’s upset comes the day after former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova dethroned defending champion Amanda Anisimova, who retired down 1-4 in the final set of her opener.
The 25-year-old Cocciaretto, who upset No. 3 Jessica Pegula at Wimbledon last summer, will face another American, Ann Li, next.
Li swept lucky loser Magdalena Frech, 6-3, 6-4, one round after defeating Leylah Fernandez.
Hobart champion Cocciaretto applied severe pressure in the seventh game. Gauff dug in and denied four break points but then played a poor drop shot that fell wide to face a fifth break point.
A jolting running rally ensued that saw both women scrambling corner to corner in an electric exchange that ended with the Italian drawing a netted forehand to break for 4-3.
Cocciaretto stood her ground working through a long hold to consolidate for 5-3.
Gauff earned a break point, drew the short ball she wanted but played a backhand right back into the Italian’s forehand wing. Cocciaretto cracked a forehand crosscourt to save break point.
Though the Cocciaretto backhand sailed on her frequently earlier in the game, she smacked a crosscourt backhand for a fourth set point. Leaning into her two hander, Cocciaretto lashed a backhand crosscourt inside the sideline closing the 57-minute opener with a bang.
It was the first time in seven sets Cocciaretto took a set from Gauff.
On the high-bouncing, slower Doha court, Gauff’s topspin forehand was sitting up. Cocciaretto stepped in and scalded another backhand winner, breaking to open the second set.
Spreading the court effectively with deep drives into both corners, Cocciaretto drew a netted error scoring her second break of the set to stretch her lead to 4-1 after 78 minutes.
On match point, Cocciaretto whipped the wide serve, stormed forward and fired one final forehand into the corner to close it.
While Cocciaretto broke through on the hard court of Doha, she conceded her mind is on the slopes of Milan, rooting on the Italian Olympic team.
“It was an unbelievable tournament for me,” Cocciaretto said. “I came here to try to play more matches.
“I think this week is a little bit different because now I’m more focused on the winter Olympics than the tennis cheering for the Italian athletes so maybe that’s the reason I’m playing better. For sure, I’m really happy.”
