"Not going into this expecting to win" - No. 1 seed Coco Gauff minces no words about lack of preparation going into Canadian Open after Paris Olympics
Coco Gauff is the top seed at the 2024 Canadian Open but she is not going into the WTA 1000 event with big expectations. The 20-year-old believes that transitioning from the clay courts of the Paris Olympics to the hard courts of Canada could be difficult.
Gauff hasn't got a kind draw, with the likes of Diana Shnaider, sixth-seed Liudmila Samsonova and Jessica Pegula in her path. However, she has received a first-round bye and will begin her campaign in the second round.
The American star's Olympic campaign was quite underwhelming. She lost to Donna Vekic in the third round of the singles event and then failed to grab a medal in either of the doubles events.
During a recent press conference ahead of the 2024 Canadian Open, Gauff talked about being realistic going into the WTA 1000 event.
"I have no expectations for this week. I’m not going into this expecting to win. It will obviously be great. That's the goal. But, to be realistic, I was on clay three days ago. So, yeah, I think overall I'm just using this just to see where I'm at what I need to do to get ready for US Open," Gauff said.
The Canadian Open will be missing some top players owing to the recent Olympics. Bronze medallist and World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, along with fellow medallists Zheng Qinwen and Donna Vekic, will not be taking part in the event. Elena Rybakina, Danielle Collins, Barbora Krejcikova, and Jasmine Paolini will also miss the event.
Coco Gauff feels close to home in Toronto and hopes to have a good week
Given that the tournament is being held close to home in the USA, Coco Gauff was asked during the pre-tournament press conference if she sensed a "positive vibe" from the Canadian fans.
"Yeah, for sure in Toronto maybe not so much Montreal just because it's more the French side. But for sure, in Toronto, it feels as close as you can get to the US," Gauff said.
"The fans, they're really receptive of me. I got to meet some cool people so, yeah, I'm excited to hopefully have a good week here," she added.
Gauff will take on the winner of the first-round match between Sofia Kenin and qualifier Wang Yafan in the second round.
A clash with compatriot Kenin could prove challenging for Gauff, as the former leads their head-to-head record 2-1. A matchup with Wang Yafan, on the other hand, would mark their first meeting on the professional circuit.