Coco Gauff, who burst onto the professional tennis scene at just 15, has frequently faced high expectations and criticism for her performances. Recently, she began her WTA Finals 2024 campaign with a decisive win over Jessica Pegula, a player who previously ousted her in last year’s semifinals. Gauff dominated their latest encounter, winning 6-3, 6-2. As she progresses in the group stage, she’s set to face Iga Swiatek and Barbora Krejcikova.
Now the third seed, Gauff reflected on her season and her handling of scrutiny in an interview with The National, highlighting her resilient perspective on criticism. Although she didn’t defend her titles at the Washington Open, Cincinnati, or the US Open, Gauff capped off her year with a WTA 1000 victory in Beijing.
Having rocketed to fame, Gauff understands the intense pressure that can come with a strong debut.
“I think people are very critical of me, maybe because of how I burst onto the scene,” she acknowledged. Viewing criticism as motivation, she said,
“I see it as a compliment; maybe they are critical of those who they believe can do better, so I just try to improve.”
After winning her first Grand Slam at the 2023 US Open, Gauff admits she began to put even more pressure on herself. Yet, she approaches each challenge with a growth-oriented mindset.
“You’re always going to be defending something; if you want to win, you will have to defend it the following year,” she explained. For Gauff, it’s all part of an ongoing “evolutionary process,” one in which she embraces both praise and criticism as steps toward continual improvement.
Coco Gauff in 2024
WWLWWLWWWW At the moment ranked no.3, Coco played her last match on the 3rd of November when she overcame world no.6 Jessica Pegula 6-3 6-2 in the round robin in Riyadh (draw).
Currently, during this year the American achieved a composed 51-16 win-loss record. The American has won 2 titles in 2024 in Auckland and Beijing.
Coco Gauff will face the world no.222 Sinja Kraus in the . In the past, they have never played each other as of now in top competitions.
Coco has won 2 titles in 2024 in Auckland and Beijing.
Gauff won 8 titles in her career: 6 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts and 1 on indoor courts. (See the list of her titles)
Coco Gauff |
| Embed from Getty Images |
Coco Gauff in 2024
WWLWWLWWWW Ranked no.3, Gauff played her last match on the 3rd of November when she overcame world no.6 Jessica Pegula 6-3 6-2 in the round robin in Riyadh (draw).
At the moment, during this season the American achieved a 51-16 record. The American has won 2 titles in 2024 in Auckland and Beijing.
Coco Gauff will play the world no.222 Sinja Kraus in the . In the past, they have never competed against each other so far in top events.
Gauff clinched 2 titles in 2024 in Auckland and Beijing.
Coco won 8 titles in her career: 6 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts and 1 on indoor courts. (See the list of her titles)
Coco Gauff |
| Embed from Getty Images |
