Yes, Coco Gauff is a Grand Slam champion. Yes, she has been ranked No. 1 in doubles and No. 2 in singles. Yes, she is already a huge star who transcends her sport and was the standard-bearer alongside LeBron James at the Paris Tournament. Olympics …and has a signature shoe…and appears on Wheaties boxes and…and…and…
And yet, back in New York for Monday’s start of the U.S. Open, which she won a year ago for her first major trophy (the first American teenager to do so since Serena Williams in 1999), Gauff can still occasionally sound like someone suffering from impostor syndrome.
Bottom line: She doesn’t quite understand what all the fuss is about.
“I thought I was a nobody,” Gauff said. “The whole flag-carrying thing is still mind-blowing to me. I’m like, ‘Why am I up there?’”
While walking around the Olympic Village, Gauff was often stopped by other Olympians hoping to pose with her for a photo.
“I said, ‘Can I take a selfie with you, too? ’ I wasn’t really expecting this,” the Floridian said. “Maybe I just don’t get it.”
Asked less than a month ago what she thought about the US Open and its importance to her still-fledgling career, Gauff replied: “I haven’t thought about it.”
Gauff said she was instead focused on the 2024 Games and making the most of that experience.
“She’s really embraced her star power, in a way,” said Jessica Pegula, a top-10 singles player and Gauff’s frequent doubles partner, “but at the same time, she’s like a kid.”
Gauff’s off-court aspects Olympics The debuts were a huge success: I met James, collected pins, met people from diverse backgrounds in college style, chatted over breakfast with athletes like 100-meter gold medalist Noah Lyles.
“He’s probably the most confident athlete I’ve ever met in my life,” Gauff said, “other than Serena, maybe.”
The results on the pitch in France? They are not so gratifying.
Gauff exited in the third round of singles after arguing with the chair umpire over a late ruling, then lost her second match in both the women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
“I’ll try to take the positives from this,” Gauff said, “and do better next time.”
With her title defense (a term she says she doesn’t like) about to begin, Gauff is going through a rough stretch of results.
She was eliminated in the fourth round of Wimbledon, visibly upset with her coach, Brad Gilbert. After the problems in the OlympicsShe moved to hard courts to prepare for New York and that didn’t go well for her: Gauff lost her second match in Toronto and her first in Cincinnati. Her ranking fell from No. 2 to No. 3.
It was not the ideal preparation she enjoyed in 2023, winning 11 of 12 matches and titles in Washington and Cincinnati before arriving at the US Open for her big moment.
“She gets constant attention, all the time, and that’s a lot to deal with,” said Emma Navarro, who beat Gauff at Wimbledon and was her American teammate at the Olympics“I have a lot of respect for her and how she handles that.”
It will be fascinating to see how Gauff fares when the lights come on at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Her opening opponent will be Varvara Gracheva, who lost in the first round the past two years in New York.
“You don’t know, you don’t consciously know, the expectations that are infiltrating your cells,” said Chris Evert, a six-time U.S. Open champion and now an ESPN analyst. “Everyone, from day one, has thought about Coco: ‘She’s the next Serena Williams. She’s going to be the next one to dominate.’ That stays with you for a long time.”
There will be other stories of interest, from the recent doping case of world number one Jannik Sinner, to defending champion Novak Djokovic’s bid for a 25th Grand Slam title, to Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka vying for a second major championship in 2024, to the Americans attempting to end a 21-year Grand Slam drought.
Gauff could face the most scrutiny of all.
“Obviously, I have a lot more aspirations than just winning a major tournament,” he said. “I think starting one gives you an idea and gives you the confidence that you can do it again.”
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.