Coco Gauff’s journey on the tennis circuit has been nothing short of exemplary. Since bursting onto the scene at the tender age of 14, the tennis sensation has produced results that many can only dream of, making it easy to forget that the American is just 19 years old.
Often called the “young veteran,”Coco Gauff recently touched upon how things have changed for her in the past year, as she aims to make the most of her final year as a teenager. The World No. 6 stated that the biggest challenge for her has been navigating through adulthood.
“I think just transitioning into adulthood really. Last year I was 18. Now I’m 19. I think just transitioning into that, you know,” she said during her press conference ahead of French Open 2023.
Gauff also revealed that she notices significant changes in herself every year, which makes her feel like a “new person.”
“Every year I just feel like a new person. I mean, it’s cliché to say, but looking at myself then and now, I get the memories on my Snapchat or whatever from a year ago, and sometimes you look at yourself and you just see a different person,” she said.
Gauff has earned numerous accolades in the past year. The American made the finals of the French Open in both singles and doubles. She lifted one singles title in January of this year.
Coco Gauff has also clinched five doubles titles since 2022, partnering with Jessica Pegula, and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 1 in the category. Gauff, however, admitted that she is still learning and unlearning things about herself.
“I’ve grown a lot in that year. There’s always things I would like to keep from myself a year ago, and things I would like to get rid of. I have to figure out what things I want to keep and what things I don’t want to keep. That’s just learning about yourself,” she noted.
“I mean, no matter how young or how old I am, I think I’m always going to be in this process of learning about myself. But I feel like even more in these years as I’m transitioning into being like a real adult,” she added.
Coco Gauff to commence French Open 2023 campaign against Rebeka Masarova
Coco Gauff is gearing up to defend her French Open runner-up finish from last year. The 19-year-old, who currently doesn’t have a personal coach on her team, will have the assistance of coach Patrick Mouratoglou during the Grand Slam event.
Speaking about whether she is worried about her wavering form in recent months ahead of the French Open, the World No. 6 said that she has been feeling “at ease“ever since landing in Paris.
“Immediately when I pretty much touch down here I just feel a little bit more at ease than the previous tournaments this season,” she said in the presser. “I don’t know if it’s the city or the vibe here that makes me a lot more at ease.”
Coco Gauff is the sixth seed at the event. She is expected to commence her campaign in Paris on Monday, May 29, against Spanish tennis player Rebeka Masarova.
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