‘Always Try to Be a Better Person’

The double-edged sword of victory can be daunting at times! Ask Coco Gauff, who catapulted to fame overnight after her historic U.S. Open triumph. However, what she dragged along with that massive win was an insatiable appetite for more, especially from the fans’ side. “Why is there so much pressure,” the 20-year-old player once asked herself. But all that “negativity” is a thing of the past now, and Gauff revealed how she managed it.

When nineteen-year-old Gauff surged to success at the U.S. Open, defeating the then sixth seed, Aryna Sabalenka, by 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, she silenced the voices that doubted her ability. Not only did she outperform the expectations, but she made history while doing so, becoming the youngest American to win the event since Serena Williams (17 at the time of her U.S. Open victory). Many even started comparing her to Williams as well. Soon, the pressure became intense as she struggled to keep up.

Almost a year after her victory, she still tries to cope with the same stress, as she herself admitted in an July interview with Forbes on 9th July. “All of a sudden, you just have so much attention on you. So it is something that I have learned but I will say that it is hard at times, I guess dealing with it all. Because you know I don’t ever try to appear perfect, but at times you know there are eyes on you and you me naturally I want to like please everyone.”

Article continues below this ad

The French Open doubles winner has swiftly climbed to the World No. 2 ranking this season, winning seven career singles titles in total. Even then, the youngest player to qualify for Wimbledon, Gauff knows, that she has a long way to go. And being buried under the pressure of constantly delivering perfect results overwhelmed her from time to time. As a result, she opted to change her outlook on the matter.

What’s your reaction?Is Coco Gauff’s new attitude a game-changer for her career? React!

“I had to really come to the terms myself realizing that it’s impossible to please, you know, millions or thousands of people whoever how many people are watching, there is always going to be somebody that finds something to nitpick.” Besides, in the interview, she also spoke about the impact of self-reflection, which can truly be a game changer in terms of dealing with respect.

Moreover, she also took on a different approach, thinking through the lens of people who struggle to meet their basic needs. “That’s real pressure, that’s real hardship, that’s real life.” Soon, Gauff found herself to be in a “privileged position,” with the constant flow of “support and love,” fueling her forward.

Rather than getting “swayed” by people’s opinion, she tries to realize her core self, and who she actually is. “Obviously, I always try to be a better person but you don’t want to let the negativity consume you because you can’t please everybody. That’s just impossible,” she concluded. However, that’s not it. According to her, there are still several aspects of playing tennis that she needs to master and improve.

Article continues below this ad

Here’s how Coco Gauff deals with her losses in tennis“I’m the type of person every loss kind of weighs on me heavy,” Gauff said after her Miami Open exit earlier this season. However, luck did not favor her in Wimbledon either. After her fourth-round elimination in the match against Emma Navarro, Gauff revealed how she learned her lessons the hard way.

“Today was one of those rare moments where I felt I didn’t have solutions.” She continued and said, “I definitely have to learn from today because it’s not going to be the first or last time that a player plays a great match against me, and I have to figure out when those moments happen how to raise my level.”

Article continues below this ad

While she might have cracked the code of how to deal with pressure, the element of adjusting to an increasingly intense match still eludes her. And what adds to it is the lack of advice from the player’s box in those situations. Nevertheless, the nine-time doubles title winner is hopeful of coming up with her unique approach to the problem soon.

This is because Coco Gauff’s core principle in dealing with problems remains the same. “I’m living a lucky life and I’m so blessed. I don’t want to take it for granted.” And soon, we are sure to find her back in the game with her dazzling performance!