Coco Gauff bringing the vibes again as she makes confession about ‘feeling off’ before US Open
Coco Gauff kicked off her US Open title defence in impressive fashion as she brushed aside Varvara Gracheva and she admitted afterwards that she is “feeling good” again following her recent struggles.
The American’s preparations for the final Grand Slam of the year were far from ideal as she lost in the third round of the Paris Olympics, going down in the round of 16 at the Canadian Open before her Cincinnati Open title defence came to an end in the second round.
Gauff slipped to No 3 in the WTA Rankings with Aryna Sabalenka moving ahead and many pundits have written off her chances of successfully defending her title.
Yet there were no signs that her confidence was low during her clash against Gracheva as she won 6-2, 6-0 in just 66 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“There is definitely a lot of pressure at this tournament, but I am just enjoying it,” she during her on-court interview. “Last year was incredible so I am just bringing those vibes this year. Whatever happens, happens.”
During the post-match press conference, she admitted that she “felt off” during her recent tournaments, especially at Cincinnati.
“I wasn’t surprised about my level because I was practicing really well this week. It was a really good practice week. I was just telling myself that I’m ready, that I had a great practice week,” the third seed said.
“I feel like I’m finding my game, whereas the other two tournaments that I played, at, even the practice sessions that I was doing … it was just, I just felt off. So this week, I just felt like I was really finding my game. So I was confident going in today. I knew based on how I was practicing, I can find my game regardless of the scoreline. Then it’s just about executing.”
Coco Gauff News
John McEnroe picks his US Open favourite from Iga Switaek, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff’s ‘stagnation’ highlighted as tennis legend reveals ‘huge favourite’ to win US Open
Losing early in Cincinnati meant Gauff was able to spend more time on the practice court and it appears to have paid off as she had a better feel for the game.
The 20-year-old, who faces Germany’s Tatjana Maria in the second round, added: “I think just execution … decision making too. I think sometimes I could rush out of points faster than I need, and then there were times where I felt like in Cincinnati where, I don’t know, it was just so weird that shots I feel like I could make with my eyes closed.
“I was just messing, and today I was making those shots, I was like, okay, I know the ball’s going where I want it to go. So I was, okay, I feel good. [The] first round for me can sometimes set the tone for a tournament, whether you’re playing well or not, but just kind of the mentality going in.
“So I think I had a good mentality. Is this going to say I’m going to play great the next couple matches, yes or no? But I think the mentality I have going into this week will be there, and hopefully the execution stays there.”
