Coco Gauff reveals when she realised that she had to play tennis for herself
Coco Gauff is set to feature on the cover of TIME Magazine in May and has opened up about suffering from burnout as a teenager and more in her candid discussion.
Gauff told Sean Gregory how she came to a realisation that changed her life.
The 20-year-old American says that her first round loss at Wimbledon hit her hard but it led to an epiphany of sorts.
“I was in a really dark place…I put my identity too much into tennis,” Gauff told TIME.
“It was taxing to feel awful all the time…It is much easier to play for yourself than it is for other people…I realized it’s impossible to satisfy everyone.”
Gauff would rebound to win her maiden WTA 1000 and Grand Slam titles later in 2023.
The product of Delray Beach remains motivated to achieve more at Grand Slam level and is also keen to represent the United States at the Paris Olympics.
“I always knew I wanted to try to win multiple Grand Slams…Sometimes people get unmotivated after winning one. That hasn’t been a personal challenge for me,” Gauff added.
Gauff is likely to represent the United States at the Olympics in both the singles and the doubles where she has already formed a formidable partnership with compatriot Jessica Pegula.
“I get goosebumps representing my country…I want to win a gold so bad,” Gauff commented on her Olympic dreams.
Gauff may have high hopes for her season but she says that she has avoided expecting too much ahead of time.
“My goal is to be relaxed and have fun and play with less pressure…I know people are going to start talking about defending the U.S. Open title later on in the year. I’m not worried about that.”
Gauff has learnt from her first Grand Slam final experience when she says that she worked herself into an anxious state.
The 2023 US Open champion didn’t appear equipped to trouble Iga Swiatek in the 2022 French Open final.
She feels that her mindset before the match led to that disappointing performance. The pressure of the big match had crept into her head and Gauff admitted that she cried during a bathroom break after she gave up the first set of that final on her way to a straight sets defeat.
“I had a lot of anxiety attacks before that final…It felt like life or death. It felt hard to breathe…I lost that match before I stepped on the court.”
The importance of Serena And Venus Williams in shaping the career of the United States’ latest Grand Slam champion cannot be overstated.
“As a little girl, it was very important to see representation and see myself in players, especially in the field where it is predominantly white…I don’t think I would have had the belief I could do it if it wasn’t for them,” Gauff said when quizzed on the influence of the Williams sisters.
