Grizzled young veteran Coco Gauff waxes philosophical

James Richardson
June 1, 2022

Coco Gauff is not yet 20-years-old but having shot to prominence as a 15-year-old with an incredible run at Wimbledon she already has plenty of experience of life on the tour.

Gauff recently graduated high school, celebrating the achievement in Paris ahead of the French Open.

Thanks to an incredible run to the last four, Gauff has even more to celebrate but she is also keen to remain grounded.

Gauff is a firm believer that in tennis and in life, self-love is the cornerstone of a happy life.

“Enjoy life. No matter how good or bad my career is, I think I’m a great person,” she said.

“That’s a message for all the young players out there that your results, your job or how much money you make doesn’t define you as a person.

“As long as you love yourself, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”

The 18-year-old says that she has learned not to get too carried away with her expectations and media hype.

“Ever since I joined the tour, or even when I was young, [I was described as] the next Serena, next this, next that, and I think I really fell into the trap of believing that,” Gauff said.

“It’s important that you have high hopes for yourself, but at the same time it’s important to be in reality and I think that’s where I am.

“I’m enjoying the moment and enjoying the situation.”

Gauff will face unseeded Italian Martina Trevisan in the semi-final on Thursday afternoon with both players fighting for a first Grand Slam final appearance.

Trevisan dispatched another teenaged sensation, Canada Leylah Fernandez, in the last eight.

Gauff believes that the next generation of players include some exceptional talents.

“I’m always rooting for the younger ones, because those are the people I played juniors with and I know them a little bit better.

“I’m sure that even me, Leylah [Fernandez], Carlos [Alcaraz], Emma [Raducanu] and all of us will be a great generation of tennis that’s kind of transitioning into now.”

Trevisan and Gauff will contest the second Roland Garros semi-final on Thursday and follow Iga Swiatek and Daria Kasatkina’s last four match on centre court.

Coco Gauff