“I fell into the trap” Coco Gauff talks of being pressurized by constant Serena Williams comparisons
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Coco Gauff, Serena Williams
Coco Gauff, the 19-year-old from the United States had turned pro at the tender age of 14 and great things were expected from her due to her immense potential. From her early days, she was expected to do well in the tournaments where seasoned veterans were also losing. She did well in 2019 to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open and made a third-round appearance at Wimbledon. She also made it to the quarterfinal of the French Open 2021.
This year she has gone even further, having made it to her maiden Grand Slam final. She will face Iga Swiatek for the French Open title. Gauff has always been a consistent performer, but she was always weighed down by the expectations of the fans for her to take up the mantle from the legendary Serena Williams.
Williams is considered one of the greatest players to have played the game, garnering 73 singles titles including 23 Grand Slams, and 23 doubles titles including 14 Grand Slams in doubles with her sister Venus Williams.
Coco Gauff is enjoying the moment at the French Open 2022.
Gauff also put a lot of pressure on herself by believing that she is the next Serena Williams and it really affected her performance. For a young player, it’s extremely challenging to measure up to a legend very early on in their career. It can cause a lot of damage in dealing with the pressure and might weigh down the players in their game. In an interview, Coco said:
“I think I was, you know, ever since I joined the tour. Or even when I was young or even eight years old, the next Serena, next this, next that, and I think I really fell into the trap of believing that. And, yeah, it’s important that you have high hopes for yourself, but also, at the same time, it’s important to be in reality and I think that’s where I am.”
It’s important for a young player to enjoy their journey and set up goals for themselves, but they shouldn’t get bogged down by comparisons with great players. Gauff said:
“I’m in reality where I’m enjoying the moment and enjoying the situation. I felt like I was to the point where even when I made the second week or beat Naomi at Australian Open, I remember like I was happy.”
“But I wasn’t like that happy because, I was, like, I feel like that’s what I should do. Whereas now I’m really appreciating each win and loss.”
Talking about the approach for the matches at the French Open, Gauff said:
“I mean, I think it’s just another match, to be honest. You know, I don’t know. I feel like last year I was looking at the finish line, and now I’m not looking at anything really except that ball in front of me.”
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Prateek Sinha
(365 Articles Published)