"21 is more the bigger age for Americans": Coco Gauff downplays milestone of turning 20 after winning her last singles match as a teen at Indian Wells
Coco Gauff has shrugged off the significance of turning 20 after winning her last singles match as a teenager at the 2024 Indian Wells Open.
On Monday, March 11, Gauff advanced to the fourth round of the WTA 1000 event with a 6-2, 7-6(5) win over Lucia Bronzetti. She next squares off sith Elise Mertens for a place in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 13, the day of her 20th birthday.
Reflecting on winning her last singles match as a teenager, Coco Gauff played down the milestone, pointing out that her annual campaigns at Indian Wells would always coincide with her birthday.
"No, not really (smiling). I mean, every year at this tournament it's going to be my last match of some age. So, yeah, it doesn't feel weird, no," Coco Gauff said in her post-match press conference.
The World No. 3 also emphasized that, in American culture, turning 21 holds much greater significance, as it representa the legal drinking age in the US.
"Yeah. I mean, I haven't really thought about it tennis-wise or off the court, honestly. Yeah, it's not like a huge milestone, you said, in the U.S., just turning another age," Gauff said.
"Yeah, no, a lot of people don't really think about it being not a teenager anymore. I think 21 is more the bigger age for more Americans. Yeah, I haven't really put too much thought in it," she added.
Coco Gauff on winning her maiden Grand Slam title as a teenager: "That's probably the only time-constraint goal I ever made for myself"
Coco Gauff won her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, beating Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the final.
In doing so, the 19-year-old became the first American teenager to triumph in New York since Serena Williams in 1999.
During her press conference, Gauff said that her mindset towards turning 20 was tempered because she had already achieved her primary goal of winning her first Major title as a teenager.
"Yeah, I think so. I think just I feel accomplished with what I wanted to do. It's good when you accomplish a goal that's so big. That's probably the only time-constraint goal I ever made for myself. Yeah, I think everything else is just whenever it happens it happens. Hopefully if it happens, it doesn't, whatever," Gauff said.
Looking ahead to her 20s, the American added that she no longer harbors any time-constrained goals.
"I think that was just one of the main things for me was to try to do that. I guess now looking next, looking at what's next, yeah, 20 is a long time to play. So I don't have any time-constraint goals anymore on myself," she added.