"People forget I'm still in the developmental phase of my career" - Coco Gauff cites Iga Swiatek as an exception amid her age gap with top 10 stars
Coco Gauff has opened up about still being in the growth phase of her career, highlighting the age gap between herself and most of WTA's top 10 stars, barring Iga Swiatek. The American made the remarks after clinching her second WTA 1000 title at the 2024 China Open.
After her title defense at the US Open came to a disappointing end in the fourth round, Gauff decided to part ways with her coach Brad Gilbert. After embarking on a new chapter with coach Matt Daly, the American chose to forgo their original plan of skipping the China Open in favor of a training block, expressing her desire to simply "have fun" competing in Beijing.
The decision paid off, as Coco Gauff delivered a stellar campaign at the WTA 1000 event, beating the likes of Katie Boulter and Paula Badosa to set up a blockbuster title clash against Karolina Muchova.
The 20-year-old claimed a dominant 6-1, 6-3 win over Muchova in the final, clinching her second title of the season and rising to World No. 4 in the rankings. However, the American has expressed her intention not to rest on her laurels, maintaining her focus on future growth.
Speaking to WTA Insider after her China Open triumph, Coco Gauff emphasized that she was still in the "developmental phase" of her career. She pointed out that, aside from Iga Swiatek, the majority of the current top 10 stars, like Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina and Danielle Collins, were all aged 25 or older.
"A lot of times people forget that I'm still in the developmental phase of my career and nothing is going to be great. Most of the people doing well are 25 and older in the Top 10, maybe with the exception of Iga. We have a long way to go and I still have a lot that I need to work on and I'm proud of myself thus far," Coco Gauff said.
Although the World No. 4 acknowledged that her game was not yet "complete," she took pride in her continuous efforts to improve while competing on tour week after week.
"I didn't have a complete game at 15 and I don't have one right now, but I've been on tour playing every week almost, trying to be better. I'm just super proud of that," she added.
Coco Gauff gears up for Wuhan Open campaign; Iga Swiatek withdraws from WTA 1000 event after coaching split
Following her triumph at the 2024 China Open, Coco Gauff will aim to seal her qualification for the WTA Finals during her campaign at the Wuhan Open. On the hunt for her second consecutive WTA 1000 title, the American will face Viktoriya Tomova or Ashlyn Krueger in the second round, after a first-round bye.
Iga Swiatek, meanwhile, pulled out of the event in Wuhan after ending her three-year partnership with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski. In a statement posted on social media, the World No. 1 explained that she required time to adapt to a new coaching setup after finalizing her choice for Wiktorowski's replacement.
"Due to this important change on my team, I give myself a couple of weeks to start a cooperation with a new coach. I'm in the middle of first talks with coaches from abroad (non-Polish) because I'm ready to take the next step of my career. I will let you know when I make a decision," Swiatek posted on Instagram.
Swiatek will be back in action as the defending champion at the WTA Finals, scheduled to commence on November 2.