WATCH: Coco Gauff reveals her elite mentality before taking on Iga Swiatek as she defeats the Pole for the first time in her career

Coco Gauff reveals what was going on in her head before the semi-final against Iga Swiatek and in the third round.

WATCH: Coco Gauff reveals her elite mentality before taking on Iga Swiatek as she defeats the Pole for the first time in her career

Coco Gauff (L), Iga Swiatek (R) (Via Imago)

American tennis sensation Coco Gauff set an extraordinary example of her elite mentality in the post-match conference today after beating World No. 1 Iga Swiatek for the first time ever in her career in the Cincinnati Open semi-final. She will now face the Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova in the final. 

Gauff faced Iga Swiatek seven times before this match and lost every one of them. She finally overcame the massive barrier in her eighth meeting with the Pole. The match ended 6(2)-7(7), 6-3, 4-6 in Coco’s favor. 

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Talking about her mentality heading into the match and in the third set, she said, “That you’re a warrior. Really, to be honest, I was just saying I am Coco Gauff and I can do it. That’s how I was going into the match. Playing her, you know, you have to give it your all, and I felt it from the moment I stepped on the court that I wasn’t going to lose this match today even when the moments got tough, and yeah, I was right, I guess.”

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Coco Gauff has had a pretty successful outing ahead of the much anticipated 2023 US Open. After her shocking first-round exit at Wimbledon 2023, she won the Citi Open and is now one step away from winning the Cincinnati Open. She will thus be heading into the US Open with solid confidence. 

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Coco Gauff is set to face Karolina Muchova in the Cincinnati Open Final 

Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff (Source: India Today)

After defeating Iga Swiatek for the first time ever, Coco Gauff’s confidence must be at an all-time high. She would now like to use this momentum to her advantage when she meets Czech tennis star Karolina Muchova in the final. 

Karolina Muchova shocked everyone in the semi-final as she defeated the second seed, Aryna Sabalenka, who was one of the favorites to win this tournament. Although some might argue that Sabalenka’s tough schedule put her in a disadvantageous position, it does take away the credit from Muchova. 

Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova have never played against each other yet, so their clash at the Cincinnati Open will be tough to predict. However, Coco Gauff remains the favorite without a doubt. 

Talking about facing Coco in the final, Muchova said, “I’m excited. I’m really excited. It’s my first final in a WTA 1000. I really love it here in Cincinnati. I hope I’ll see you guys tomorrow & some of you will still cheer me on even though I play Coco.”

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