Coco Gauff knows the dip will come. She has no illusions that the wave – which has taken her to two hard court titles in three weeks – will crash sooner or later.
“It’s going to happen,” says Gauff. Any 19 year old questions? “Not this week,” she says with a smile. Not if she arrives at the US Open as one of the favorites to clinch the title.
The number six, still a teenager, is one of nearly two dozen American women in the main draw. She’s not even the highest seed on these coasts – that honor goes to Jessica Pegula (3).
But Gauff is the American player generating the most hope and the most hype heading into this year’s tournament in New York. Never mind that she never got past the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows. It doesn’t matter that her last Grand Slam – at Wimbledon – ended in the first round. Gauff has found form at the right time. Maybe she found the right team too.
The 19-year-old flies under the new combination of Pere Riba and Brad Gilbert. Her record during this hard court season is: 11 wins, one loss, two titles.
Coco Gauff has no illusions that the wave she is currently on will soon come to an end
Gauff is the American generating the most hype heading into the US Open, despite her last Wimbledon Grand Slam appearance ending in the first round
The 19-year-old is now part of the hard court season after teaming up with new coaches
Gauff won her first WTA 500 title in Washington and then her first WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati. The next domino to fall could be her first Grand Slam.
And yet, the 19-year-old emphasizes, little has changed. Not a major rethink, not a major overhaul. Instead, a few tweaks upstairs made a world of difference.
Some improvements have come from experience. “I know I’m up now, and I know I’m going to have a down,” Gauff said Friday. “I think the mentality has really changed there. Sometimes I let a loss get too much into my mind. I realize that everyone loses, even the best of the best.’
Some have emerged from defeat. “The first round loss (to Sofia Kenin) at Wimbledon shows that it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. So I don’t go to this tournament with any worries whether I lose early or not.’
A lot of change has come from the win. “I’ve learned a lot in the last few weeks – more from my wins I think than in the past,” she added. “The most I’ve learned this summer is that I don’t have to play top tennis to win. Obviously when you start the match you hope to play the best tennis you can, but that’s not always possible…sometimes I think if I didn’t play my best tennis or didn’t play great I would be a bit mentally stop a bit. Now I’m figuring it out on the way.’
A lot has come from Gilbert too – because of his experience and his light touch. “People may say you play well or the opposite, but I think when you hear it from someone who has worked with some of the best players in the game, you just really believe it,” said Gauff. “I don’t think the message has changed for me, it’s more about the way the message was passed on to me.”
And that can mean a timely dose of humor. “Sometimes I practice … it’s 30-All or deuce, he says something completely random, like a joke or something,” Gauff added. “It’s just little things like that that made me realize that tennis is serious, but not as serious as my mind sometimes makes it seem… he’s made sure that I have fun in those difficult moments and that I can embrace the rigors of tennis . .’
New duo Pere Riba (left) and Brad Gilbert have led her to 11 wins and two titles
Gauff says a few tweaks upstairs have made a world of difference for her on the court
Gauff will face defending champion Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals of the US Open
The next two weeks will certainly put these new tires and new techniques to the test. Gauff will face defending champion Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals. After seven consecutive losses, Gauff finally beat the world No. 1 in Cincinnati. No wonder the teen says he’s more confident than he was before the recent US Opens.
But living as the ‘future of the sport’ – as Pegula dubbed her on Friday – also comes with a lot of responsibility. On Friday night at the US Open, Gauff will attend a gala to toast 50 years of equal pay. “I’m really happy to be a part of that,” she said. “We still have a long way to go.”
Referring to this summer’s tournaments, she added: ‘My matches were quite a lot busier or the same as some of the best players on the men’s side. I don’t think it’s an attraction problem.’
Soon after, she deftly avoided controversy when asked about the possibility of the WTA Finals going to Saudi Arabia. The teen also discussed her ambitions in business. And then came a reminder of what can happen when young players are forced to take on the weight of expectations.
Six years ago, Gauff lost the junior final to Amanda Anisimova here, who recently retired from tennis indefinitely at the age of 21. ‘I can really understand. There are probably a lot of players who need a break but don’t,” she said. “Maybe I should take a break one day, I don’t know.”
Gauff added, “She was always considered next. I can totally understand the pressure she probably felt… people forget she’s human, athletes are human.”