Coco Gauff has a "lot more fun" when she doesn't focus on meeting expectations of others, says it's okay to be "selfish" at times
Coco Gauff recently gave her thoughts on her upcoming match against Naomi Osaka at the Western & Southern Open. The American teenager believes she has taken plenty of lessons from her previous encounters with the Japanese and hopes to put them to good use in their second-round clash on Wednesday.
Gauff and Osaka first locked horns at the 2019 US Open. The American was dismantled 6-3, 6-0 by the Japanese on that occasion.
Reminiscing about that encounter after her first-round win over Hsieh Su-wei in Cincinnati, Gauff admitted that she was under a lot of pressure to deliver against Osaka, considering she had just made her Slam breakthrough a few months prior at Wimbledon, where she upset Venus Williams.
Gauff said the weight of expectations got to her and prevented her from playing her best tennis. However, the American believes she is now better-equipped to deal with the pressure.
"I think I learned from that experience," Coco Gauff said. "That was definitely the first match for me where all the hype and everything, you know, affected me. It was different against Venus, because before the match, you know, no one expected for me to do well or anything. So there was no pressure."
"US Open, people expected a great match. It was a great for her, but the score was not so entertaining for other people. I will say it did affect me then, but I think, you know, I needed that experience to help me now, and now, when I go into these matches," Gauff added. "I know, you know, turn off the phone or not focus on what other people say and ignore it."
Osaka and Gauff also met at the 2020 Australian Open, where the American exacted revenge with a 6-3, 6-4 win over the Japanese. Gauff admitted that the encounter in Melbourne helped her truly believe that she could deliver under pressure on the big stage.
"I definitely did learn a lot from both matches, actually. For me, the second match I learned that I can perform well under the pressure, and that I do have a lot more fun on the court when I try not to focus on the expectations of other people," Gauff said.
"You know, it's okay to be selfish sometimes. I think I learned a lot from both of those experiences, and I definitely will take that into this match tomorrow and even my next matches for my whole career.
The Williams sisters mean a lot to me, I wouldn't be playing tennis if it wasn't for them: Coco Gauff
During the course of the press conference, Coco Gauff was also asked to give her thoughts on Serena and Venus Williams, who have served as idols for many young players, including Gauff herself.
Gauff had the opportunity to face Venus at Wimbledon two years ago and she ended up defeating the American legend in the first round.
Gauff lavished praise on Serena and Venus for paving the way for African-Americans and female tennis players. Gauff also revealed that the Williams sisters' achievements were what inspired her to pick up a tennis racket.
"Yeah, for me, they (Williams sisters) mean a lot to me personally, just because, you know, I wouldn't play tennis if it wasn't for either of them," Gauff said. "Definitely a .1 percent chance I would have picked up a racquet if they doesn't exist. I think the reason that I believe I can go this far is definitely because of them."
"They broke so many boundaries, especially for African Americans in tennis, broke so many boundaries for women in tennis. Not even in tennis. In the world. Everyone in the world. Not just tennis, but every athlete and every person in general in the world. They definitely paved the way for me, and, for sure, they paved the way for other players as well."