“There is no pressure on me,” Coco Gauff confident of upsetting Iga Swiatek in Dubai

Coco Gauff is hopeful of overcoming Iga Swiatek's challenge despite having a poor record against the Pole.

“There is no pressure on me,” Coco Gauff confident of upsetting Iga Swiatek in Dubai

Coco Gauff, Iga Świątek

American teenager Coco Gauff has set up a mouthwatering clash against Word No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the Dubai Open. The American star defeated compatriot Madison Keys in the quarter-final round of the WTA 1000 event. Now she will face the heavy favorite Polish star in the last-four stage on Friday. 

The odds are heavily staked against the 18-year-old Gauff and she acknowledges that. However, she is in no mood to get bogged down by the pressure. The World No. 6 believes in her capabilities and is hopeful of swinging the match toward her. 

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“I mean, no pressure. She’s playing at the top of her game. Well, I don’t know, because last year we said the same thing. She’s playing really well. It’s going to be a challenge,” Gauff said about Swiatek. At the same time, she is happy as the meeting can help her make some improvements irrespective of the result. 

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“To be honest, I think it’s a good matchup just to see where I can maybe improve on. You know, there’s no pressure on me. I’m just going to go out there swinging. Whatever happens, happens. You just kind of have to go in believing you can win even when the odds seem stacked against you,” the American continued. 

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Gauff feels ranking is just a number despite having a really poor head-to-head record against Swiatek 

Coco Gauff (Image: WTA)

Gauff is yet to score a win against Swiatek. She has lost all the previous five encounters against the Pole. A blank in the head-to-head record is something that can make Gauff nervous but she seems to not dwell on the past. 

Staying in the present is the key to success, Gauff believes. “All five times, I did something wrong. To be honest, she’s playing great tennis and there’s a reason she’s World No.1,” Gauff acknowledged after winning against Keys. 

“Tomorrow I have no pressure. I just have to play my game. I definitely think I’ve gotten better since the last time I played her. The ranking is just a number at the end of the day. You just have to step on the court believing you can win, and that’s what I’m going to do tomorrow.”

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