"What would Carlos Alcaraz do?" - Coco Gauff reveals an interesting tactic to combat pressure
Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz are two of the most exciting players in tennis right now. The teenagers have impressed everyone with their performances this season as well as their entertaining styles of play.
During a press conference ahead of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Gauff revealed that she drew inspiration from Alcaraz during the 2022 French Open.
"And then at French Open, that's what I told myself. I literally said 'What would Carlos do? I'm just going to go big and go for my shots and go for these decisions.' I think that Carlos does a great job embracing it. So I feel bad for Montreal, but I'm sure he's going to turn it around [immediately] because he has greatness in him. That's not deniable" said Gauff.
The American spoke of the need to embrace the expectations people have of both Alcaraz and herself. She went on to say that she learned a lot from watching Alcaraz in matches and at practice.
"I'm sure Carlos and I, for the rest of our careers, people are going to expect things from us. You almost have to embrace it," Gauff said.
"I never spoke to him personally about it, but watching him I feel like he embraces it. I learned a lot from watching him, believe it or not. I would watch him practice all the time and watch him play these matches when he's playing these big players. I just love the way that he went so big on those shots," she added.
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It was the first time that I couldn't handle the pressure… I have to be ready to have this pressure, to have this kind of moments, and to learn how to handle it! 💪🏻 https://t.co/dLypEV1Ihg
"I'm trying to take my chances more and be more aggressive" - Coco Gauff
During the presser, Coco Gauff spoke about the changes she has made to her game. The teenager is trying to be more aggressive on the court, a quality she hopes will help her during the business end of big tournaments.
"I feel like everybody knows I'm fast. I think sometimes I just go and just put the ball in the court because I know I can run it down. That was my old mentality," Gauff said.
"But now I think I'm trying to take my chances more and be more aggressive. Because playing [the old] way would definitely get me quarterfinals or fourth round in Slams. But to get to that final moment you need to take care of those details. I think I'm slowly taking care of those details," Gauff added.
Coco Gauff wills square off against Marie Bouzkova in the first round of the Western & Southern Open on Tuesday.