WHILE it wasn’t the fairytale finish they had hoped for, Coco Gauff and Alex Eala found a lot to celebrate about their buddng partnership — one rooted in opportunity, growth, and the intangible strength of having someone to lean on.
A friendship formed
Born from a shot-in-the-dark Eala DM to her idol Gauff on Instagram, the two soon forged a unique bond as they rolled the dice at the 2025 Italian Open women’s doubles, where they shared the court for the very first time.
Though their journey ended in less than a week after a loss to home favorites Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in a grueling three-set match, 5-7, 6-3, 10-7, the story they created will live far beyond the baseline.
READ Eala, Gauff fall to home bets in women's doubles quarters
Reflecting on their run, the humble American revealed in a post-match interview that she apologized to Eala several times during their shared five-day adventure.
“Many times I’ve apologized to her, but she’s quick, she’s fast, so she’s there to cover for me,” Gauff told the Tennis Channel.
The 21-year-old admitted she’s having a hard time regaining her footing in doubles since ending her partnership with world No. 4 Jessica Pegula earlier this year. The pair had competed together in the last WTA calendar and the Paris Olympics, but chose to focus on their singles careers afterward.
“You know how they say you don’t forget how to ride a bike? Doubles, you definitely forget how to play. I told her, I’m like ice at the net — that’s what I feel like,” she said.
She lauded Eala for stepping up in key moments, including in their Round of 16 match against Lisa Pigato and Tyra Grant, where they won convincingly, 6-2, 6-3, to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
“And in our match yesterday, she definitely got MVP for that. I was just kind of there. So, I told her sometimes I forget how to play because it’s been a while. It’s just one of those things,” Gauff continued.
Eala boasts two junior grand slam doubles titles, and the current world No. 3 Gauff can now attest why.
“She’s super great. She plays really aggressive doubles, which is something I like and definitely need. I’m really happy. I knew how she played singles, but you never know how people are going to play doubles. I’m very happy,” she said of the young star.
While the tournament is over for Eala, Gauff is gearing up for bigger matches as she heads to the semifinals against Zheng Qinwen, who stunned world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarters.
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