Even without a coach, Coco Gauff remains confident ahead of clay season

STUTTGART: After a split with her coach Diego Moyano, Coco Gauff is set to play her first WTA Tour event without her coach at the Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, which kicked off the European clay-court swing this week.

The 19-year-old American and Moyano announced the amicable end of their partnership after working together for a year at the end of the Miami Open.

"It wasn't really my decision. He was having some personal things going on, so he had to step down. So, I would say it was something that I think both of us didn't want to happen because we did have such a good time together. But I understand that, and I wish him nothing but the best," Gauff was quoted by the WTA website.

"I know that he's always a person that if I need to call I'll pick up the phone, and I had a great year with him."

Gauff, the World No.6, will tackle the clay with her father, Cori, back in the primary coaching role and look to hire someone after the Europe swing.

"I had the goal of maybe getting a coach before the clay season, but after Miami is when I found out from Diego, so I didn't have that much time to decide. Now I'm on the fence, of more so just staying with the situation that I have now instead of introducing someone new. But we'll see," she said.

Gauff landed in Stuttgart on Monday after a quick turnaround from the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers in Delray Beach, where along with World No.3 Jessica Pegula, she helped Team USA book a spot in November's finals.

"I feel like my confidence is really high. I feel like after Miami it did drop a little bit because I did have a tough match. Then I had the BJK Cup where I had a good week there. I feel like putting in retrospect where I was last year to this year, I feel like definitely I'm a much better player and I have to trust in that," Gauff said.

The American teen sensation will open her Stuttgart Open campaign against Veronika Kudermetova on Wednesday. Agencies

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