Coco Gauff had a very emotional 2023 season, during which she experienced both the lowest point of her career and the best moment, which came last year at the US Open.
In the summer of 2023, Gauff was in London competing at the Wimbledon Championships and hoping to have a really good event. That wouldn't happen, as she was beaten by Sofia Kenin in the first round.
She later described that moment as the lowest point in her career. It mostly came from overwhelming frustration because, up until that point, Gauff hadn't been able to have many good results that year.
After competing on the WTA Tour for a few years and nearing the end of her teenage years, Gauff started to feel like the clock was ticking. She wasn't winning the way she thought she should, and this created more pressure.
Then, things suddenly changed as she won the Citi Open in Washington. She followed that up by winning the Cincinnati Open and, famously, the US Open. That was the best moment of her career and hugely significant.
Winning the US Open lifted a huge emotional burden Gauff was feeling because she finally did it. She finally won that Grand Slam, which started to seem like something that would never happen.
It took her a while to process it properly because it came out of nowhere. She didn't expect it at the time, but it was a much-deserved trophy and also one that relieved a tremendous amount of pressure.
"I won the US Open and I still just didn't feel it. It took me a week to actually believe that it had happened. I had found myself like crying or sometimes, not like sadness but like disbelief. I wanted to win a Grand Slam as a teenager so I felt that the clock was just ticking. Yeah I just didn't expect it."
Similarly to most players, Gauff dreamed of winning a Grand Slam, and after not being able to do so for a couple of years, the American wondered whether it would ever happen.
It finally happened at the US Open, and it was a dream come true for the youngster. Now, her dreams have shifted, as she wants to add another one.
"Every tennis player's dream is to win a Grand Slam so everybody is just giving it there all and I will let you know, when I win a next one, how it goes."
With the US Open coming up, many tennis fans are wondering whether she could repeat her achievement from last year. It's certainly a dream and a goal for Gauff, but her form in recent weeks hasn't been that good.
She hasn't been able to play as well as she was able to last year, so the likelihood seems smaller. However, as a result, the pressure won't be as high, which could help, as she's already done that, so there is no time ticking as last year.
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