Coco Gauff is out of the WTA Finals, but it's not because of pressure or anything similar because she's not feeling that.
Ever since Serena Williams stopped winning dozens of titles, fans have been looking to anoint a successor. Who would carry the really bright torch of US tennis forward? Well, pretty quickly, many settled on a rising teenager who certainly had the talent but didn't seemingly have 'it' yet.
Gauff has been in the spotlight forever, and she's learned how to deal with it. Pressure doesn't really bother her anymore, and she showed at this year's US Open.
She opened a chapter in her career as she deals a lot better with some of the things that were seemingly a problem before. Even being called the future of US tennis doesn't bother her as she revealed at the 2023 WTA Finals.
No. I don’t think about that at all. I’m glad to be in the position I’m in. Representing my country is great, but it’s not something I think about all the time. I feel like my whole life I’ve been prepping for this I guess. I’ve always been the lead for my age group and beyond.
So I think over the years, I’ve just gotten used to it. But I don’t take it for granted. I think the best way to approach it is to just not think of it and make it a big deal. I try my best on court and off court to be the best role model I can be. But I’m not gonna put pressure on myself to do results. I don’t want to put myself on a pedestal. There are still so many American girls and guys that can carry that as well.
It's a nice way to look at things if you're Gauff, but it's also the truth. There are many other great tennis players from the United States out there competing. She might be the brightest star but she's certainly not the only one.
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