Coco Gauff face the next Wimbledon 2024 as world number two. It will be the first time that the American plays in a major tournament in such a privileged position, but it is something totally secondary compared to her main objective: winning the title for the first time in the world. Cathedral of Tennis. Of course, the American confessed in a press conference that she faces the tournament with a much more relaxed mentality, knowing that the Olympic Games are just around the corner… and that nothing can go worse than last year, an experience that she used as a springboard to explore your limits....Read The Full Story Here ▶
– Olympic Games year, is it difficult to find a balance in the calendar?
“After this tournament I’m not going to play any warm-up events for the Olympics. In a way it’s like you do two big tournaments in a row, which nobody, unless they’ve played the Olympics, has done before. It’s something unique. Looking ahead to Wimbledon, everything’s fine, it’s a normal part of our schedule; it’s going to be interesting to see how we feel at a tournament as big as the Games. I’ve been trying to adopt an attitude and a mentality of trying to enjoy these experiences, you only experience your first Games once. I’m very relaxed heading into Wimbledon, I didn’t have a good tournament here last year, so I feel like things can’t get worse, they can only get better or stay the same (laughs).
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– How much have things changed since that match a year ago and what differences do you notice between each Wimbledon?
“I wish the me from that game a year ago could see myself now. It was a tough time for me. The first two or three weeks after that game, I was in a really dark place. It was hard to realize that I still had so much time. I’ve grown so much. I’m glad I used that time to get better, and I still know I’m not even halfway to where I can be. That experience taught me that bad times don’t last forever. It was a tough time, but it was followed by the best part of any season I’ve ever had. That teaches you that bad times don’t last forever.”
– First Grand Slam as world number 2, does that change anything?
“Not really. Ranking is just a number, maybe if I was number one I would feel different, but being 2, 3, 4, 5, it’s all interchangeable unless you’re 1. It’s not something I pay too much attention to.”
– Something I love and something I hate about being a tennis player
“There are many things I love, but surely the best thing about being a tennis player is the connection with people. Last week I met a boy who is my fan. He started to get excited when he met me: it’s those things and those interactions that make you Seeing that what you do on the court matters, no matter if you’re having an amazing time and winning everything or if you’re having a hard time and losing. Those interactions with people are so satisfying that they make it all worth it. I don’t like it? Maybe the angry gamblers on social media are a bit annoying, I love the “block” button. There’s been talk that I use it a lot on Twitter, but I just say: ‘Bye’ (laughs)” .
– How her family has gotten used to being in the elite, especially after the noise they made when Coco was shown to the world at Wimbledon 2019
“My parents have gotten used to saying no. A lot of people approach them if they want something from me: at first they said yes to everything, to any signature… then it became more and more, and they get to a point where they don’t want to bother me so much. They’ve noticed that I’ve matured, and they’ve gotten used to feeling sad about having to say no to some things. Sometimes people don’t realize the weight of what they’re asking.”
– Moment of strength within the women’s circuit
“The circuit is very strong. I feel that there is a lot of depth in women’s tennis: the top-50, top-10, top-5… everyone has a chance to win. There are many players that I admire, Iga is someone who has an incredible mentality, wins a lot; Ons Jabeur is the nicest person and a great competitor, both on and off the court. Ons was one of the first players to be super nice to me when I was 15 years old and had just arrived on the circuit. “She was one of the nicest tennis players at a time when I was afraid to meet people I saw on television.”
