Coco Gauff had been under a lot of pressure to deliver a big trophy, and she admitted that it lifted a huge weight off her shoulders.
The American has been widely described as the biggest tennis talent to emerge in recent years on the WTA Tour, and while she's been performing well for a long time now, she hasn't had any signature trophies up until this year.
When Emma Raducanu won the US Open, many wondered why Coco Gauff couldn't do the same thing, but now she's done it. It took a while, but she's finally done it and done in style, beating the soon world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
She won two trophies leading up to that run, further legitimizing the result. As you can imagine, it was a huge relief for her, which she confirmed after her most recent victory at the 2023 China Open.
Having those victories makes me feel more confident now, especially because of how the US Open went. There is a lot more pressure in a Grand Slam, but I think I can handle emotions better thanks to the experience. Now it's like some weight has been lifted off my shoulders, I can play more freely.
It's been a really good time since her triumph, as she has been able to rest up by taking her longest break from tennis since becoming a professional. She returned to Beijing and continued where she left off, powering through to the semi-final, where she'll play Iga Swiatek.
She doesn't have a particular goal until the end of the year because she can't become world number one, but winning a few more trophies wouldn't hurt. The WTA Finals in Cancun are going to be an interesting experience for her as she played below her level at the Finals last year.
Considering her form, she'll be in the mix for potentially lifting the trophy.
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