TENNIS: Gauff has no regrets despite match point heartbreak against Muchova

LONDON — Coco Gauff said she has no regrets about the shot she chose on match point after falling just short of her first Wimbledon final in a heartbreaking semifinal defeat to Karolina Muchova on Thursday.

The seventh-seeded American was one point away from victory, leading 9-8 in the decisive 10-point match tiebreak, but her attempted drop shot found the net. Muchova capitalized on the mistake to complete a dramatic comeback and secure a 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (12-10) victory.

Gauff acknowledged that the decision would likely be questioned but stood by her instinct in the moment.

"People who don't watch tennis are going to ask why I chose that shot," Gauff told reporters. "At the end of the day, that's the choice I made. Maybe it wasn't the right one in that moment, but if I had made it, everyone would have called it a clutch shot. That's just tennis."

The 22-year-old said the bounce of the ball caught her by surprise, causing her to hesitate.

"I just panicked a little bit," Gauff said. "Moments like this help you learn and have a clearer plan for the future. I left everything on the court. I don't have regrets, only points where I wish I had made better decisions. That's how you improve."

Gauff compared her experience to other painful defeats suffered by some of tennis' greatest champions, including Roger Federer's loss to Novak Djokovic in the 2019 Wimbledon final after holding championship points and Jannik Sinner's French Open final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz after holding match points.

"Every great champion has gone through something like this," Gauff said. "Maybe this is something I need to experience to reach that level."

Although the loss was difficult to accept, Gauff said she was encouraged by her overall performance during the tournament.

She admitted she was unsure whether she would watch Saturday's Wimbledon final between Muchova and fellow Czech Linda Noskova, saying the defeat was still fresh.

"It still stings because I was so close," Gauff said. "At the same time, I'm a fan of tennis, and it's going to be a great match. Maybe I'll watch, maybe I won't."

Gauff also brushed aside the prospect of criticism on social media, including negative comments from disappointed bettors.

"I've probably already received some hate comments," she said. "It's okay. It makes you stronger. It happens. I'll be on the winning side next time." -Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in London; Editing by Alison Williams/Reuters