Coco Gauff admits she'll have plenty of time to reflect on her fantastic tennis accomplishments this season after the 2023 WTA Finals.
The World No. 3 is preparing for her opening group stage match on Monday evening, where she will confront Tunisia's Ons Jabeur. Gauff finished without a single win at the season finale last year, and she'll be looking to address that record in Cancun, where she is one the favorites to walk away with the top prize.
The 19-year-old has had an unforgettable summer on home soil. When she entered this year's US swing in August, there was doubt. Against the backdrop of a poor showing at Wimbledon, where she succumbed to a shock first-round exit, Gauff's confidence sunk to an all-time low.
Many tennis fans who made premature pronouncements about Gauff being the next big thing in women's tennis were now retracting from that statement. But tennis is a quick turnaround sport, and Gauff arrested that meek, early defeat at SW19 with sizzling runs in tournaments on hard courts.
The points piled up as was the trophy cabinet. Gauff hoisted three titles on US hard courts, culminating with a maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. She forged the longest winning run on the WTA tour in 2023 with 16 matches (before it was ended by Iga Swiatek).
Gauff has since risen to a career-high ranking of No. 3, and she's got a great chance to cement her year-end Top 3 position at the WTA Finals. It was natural that reporters would quiz her on whether she had time to reflect on her results and let the moment sink in.
Gauff explained that she's inculcated a forward-thinking approach during her season. And moreover, it has always been hard to be drawn into comprehending current achievements mid-season but expects to have sufficient time after the WTA Finals.
"Yes and no. I feel like sometimes I tend to look towards the next thing. When we're in season, it's tough to reflect all of the time. After this last tournament, I think we'll have enough time to reflect and be proud of all the things I've done, but also look for improvement on how I can do even better."
"I think the most important thing is just how you respond mentally, accepting it for what it is. You're going to miss some, you're going to make some. You're going to win some points because of luck, because of the wind, and you're also going to lose some. Obviously just moving your feet as much as possible, trying to arrive to the ball as early as I can. I think those are the keys that I think will matter the most this week."
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