Coco Gauff wants to follow in the footsteps of some successful mothers on the WTA Tour, but not just yet, as it would be too soon for the teenager.
Coco Gauff tasted victory in Auckland in 2023, opening her season with a title run at the event. The overall season ended up being a pretty decent success with the US Open win over Aryna Sabalenka, so she decided to try it again.
The 2024 season opened with her winning a couple of matches comfortably to make the Auckland final again. On the opposite side of the net stood Elina Svitolina, a mother whose comeback following pregnancy inspired many tennis players.
Gauff is certainly among those who found it quite impressive because motherhood is a huge step for any woman, let alone a tennis player who needs to pause her career for it and then manage both the career and motherhood.
Even so, the 19-year-old is in no rush to experience that feeling, at least not anytime soon. She joked about it during her victory speech, admitting to wanting to do the same (become a mother and play tennis) but not anytime soon.
"I’d like to congratulate Elina and your team. What you do, being a mom, coming back so fast at such a high level is inspiring. Hopefully, not anytime soon, I’ll be able to do it like you did."
Stories like the one of Svitolina were praised by Andy Murray, who hypothesized that post-pregnancy successful comebacks like hers could inspire other players to take the plunge earlier.
Just recently, we found out how Ons Jabeur planned a pregnancy in case she won Wimbledon, but losing it meant it was pushed back. That's been the case for many players who pushed it back in favor of focusing on tennis.
Players like Svitolina are proving that you don't have to go that way, and if you do, you can still be great at tennis. Pregnancy is not a death sentence for a successful career.
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