Coco Gauff Reveals the Toughest Aspect of Being a Publicly-Recognized Athlete Ahead of Roland Garros Title Defense

Coco Gauff has opened up growing as a professional tennis player in the eyes of the public. The American star, who burst onto the scene at just 15, is set to play in her seventh French Open main draw at just 22. She had already won two Grand Slams at her age, but has also been heavily criticized off the court.

Gauff first became famous at the 2019 Wimbledon Championship after beating Grand Slam winner Venus Williams in the first round. Despite being a teenager, she was hailed at that time as the next Serena Williams of tennis. She was the most talked-about tennis player in America after Wimbledon that year.

At only 18, she reached her first Grand Slam final at the 2022 French Open, but lost the title to Iga Swiatek. In September that year, she broke into the top 10 for the first time in her career after reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open. That made her the face of women’s tennis, increasing the scrutiny around her game.

The following year, she reached her second Grand Slam final at the US Open and claimed the title after beating Aryna Sabalenka. She won her second Slam at last year’s Roland Garros, defeating Sabalenka in the final as well. She has reached at least the quarter-finals in each of her last five appearances at the Roland Garros.

She’s the defending champion of the French Open, but not the overwhelming favorite. Her critics believe that her issues with her serve will come back to bite her at the tournament, with Sabalenka chosen as the favorite to win the championship. Speaking to the media ahead of her Roland Garros opening, she admitted that her mistakes have often been highlighted since becoming famous on tour:

Well, the best thing I think… I mean, sometimes you get some perps and stuff, like people recognize you and things like that. The worst thing I think is, you know, you make mistakes when you grow up.. So all your mistakes are kinda shown. I also think it’s not a bad thing because maybe some other people can see themselves in me and realize that we’re not all perfect and we all gotta learn.

Gauff reached the final of the Italian Open ahead of Roland Garros. It was her second consecutive final at the tournament, but her first on this surface this season. She has struggled to be at her best on the court, but has never looked away from fighting for her place in tournaments. The 22-year-old has admitted that she’s under no pressure to defend the title.

Coco Gauff looks to use her experience at the French Open to challenge for the title

Since last year, Coco Gauff’s serving issues have become a highlight of her tournament performances. Currently, she leads the WTA with 208 double faults this season. Mirra Andreeva is the second-most double-faulted player on the list, with 145, and has played five more matches than Gauff.

The issue with her serve has dragged on for months now and has become increasingly noticeable each time she takes to the court. Hiring Gavin MacMillan was meant to change that, but the biomechanics coach has not helped improve her game in that area. But Gauff doesn’t want that to be a burden on her at the Roland Garros as she hopes to use her experience at the tournament:

Whenever I come to this tournament, I don’t even think about my past results here. I know I play well here. Even if I’m not doing my best in the match, I know I can find that level just because of my history here, but it’s also something I’m not thinking about, entering the match.

Gauff will face American star Taylor Townsend in the opening round of the French Open. Townsend enters the event full of confidence after capturing the Sunshine Double titles in Indian Wells and Miami alongside her doubles partner Katerina Siniakova. Should she defeat Townsend, she’s projected to face World No.117 Dalma Galfi.

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