Coco Gauff looks at Grand Slam playing with a slightly different approach.
Ahead of the Australian Open, the 19-year-old US Open champion told reporters on Friday that she has changed her mindset about the high stakes involved in winning high-profile tournaments – but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to win “more” Slams.
“I think I put too much pressure on winning the Slam. I think I felt like I had to do it,” Gauff said. “When I came on the scene at 15, I felt like I had to win a Slam as a teenager because everyone thought so.”
With her first win now behind her, Gauffin’s priority is to do the same as many times as she can.
Coco Gauff, 19, wins first Grand Slam title at US Open 2023: ‘Sweeter than I could have imagined’
“Some players’ goal is to win a Grand Slam,” she said. “Once they achieve that, the question is, what’s next? As for me, I always knew I wanted to win more.”
Reflecting on her win in New York last September, Gauff said she “didn’t expect” to win the tournament, and that afterward “it was kind of easy to forget about it.”
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“Not ‘forget,’ I think that’s the wrong word,” she clarified. “Maybe just put it in the past and look forward to the future instead of dwelling on the past.”
Coco Gauff (left) and Billie Jean King photographed at the US Open on September 9, 2023.
Robert Prange/Getty
Regarding her loss in the first round at Wimbledon last year, Gauff said: “It’s not the end of the world,” adding: “The sun is still shining. I still have my friends and family.”
Coco Gauff jumped from the tallest building in New Zealand: ‘Jumping into the New Year’
She further remarked, “I realized that defeat is not so bad and that I should focus on the battle and the process and enjoy it. I found I could play more freely and trust myself more.”
Earlier this month, the world’s third-ranked tennis player celebrated the New Year with her family on an extreme trip.
While playing in the ASB Classic in New Zealand, the teenager jumped from the tallest building in the country and bungee jumped 53 stories down at a speed of nearly 53 miles per hour.
“Let’s jump into the new year 🎊 #2024,” the tennis phenom captioned her Instagram post, which included footage of her jump.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education