Gauff Doesn't Want 'To Be Praised Because Of Her Age'

| by Kadir Macar

Coco Gauff has been on the WTA Tour for a while now but she's still only 19 years of age and she feels like that is often the bigger talking point than her tennis.

When you break out as a teenager you'll always be remembered by your age. Whether we like it or not, age will always be a factor in sports. The youngest this, the oldest that, it's a never-ending story which Gauff knows very much and she spoke about it at the 2023 Roland Garros.

She broke out as a teenager but not just any teenager, a very young one and established herself as a player before even turning 18. For much of that time, the American's age was the main talking about, much more so than her tennis and we're seeing it again with the rise of Mirra Andreeva. The Russian being 16 is the main talking point in her whole story.

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Swiatek provides 3rd and 4th bagel serving in Wang demolition at Roland Garros

Gauff was asked about age being part of the story following her win over Andreeva and she talked about her own experience with that as a player who essentially broke out as a 16-year-old as well. She feels that it becomes a talking point far too often.

I'm gonna be honest: Yes (smiling). I mean, the whole -- I mean, it's great. I remember I saw a stat the other day, and they were, like, I have the most bagels by a teenager on tour. It's cool, but it's just like some of these stats, I don't know, just like I feel like some of these stats, I don't know, y'all be finding the smallest details. I'm like who keeps track of this stuff?

Expanding further on the topic, Gauff drew parallels between herself and Andreeva talking about how neither probably thought out their age during the match but even so, it's always going to be a talking point in tennis.

I think honestly age does play a factor, but yes, as I've been growing even now at 19 people still talk about my age. It's like people are like, you know, she's still so young. Yeah, I'm 19. I've been young, you know,(smiling). And I don't know if Mirra feels the same way but people love to say, You're only this, you're only that.

When I'm on the court, we're not thinking about our age. I don't think she was thinking, Oh, I'm only 16 and she's 19, she's older. If she was thinking that she wouldn't win a match because she beat people older than me. And at age I wasn't thinking about that, I was just thinking about playing the ball.

She concluded that the age talk can get a bit old as she's been hearing it for close to three years now. Gauff is a tennis player, not just a 19-year-old tennis player like it is portrayed often.

Age is important to mention sometimes but as a player and going through it, yes, it gets a little bit annoying. Because I feel like I'm the type of person, I don't need to be praised because of my age or anything. I prefer just to be praised because of my game, not because of things I'm doing at whatever age.

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