"It doesn't really bother me" - Gauff not concerned with hate on social media
WTA
Coco Gauff, like plenty of athletes, receives a lot of hate online, but she admitted that she's not bothered by that.
Unfortunately, in the age of social media, athletes had to get used to receiving very ugly messages after some of their matches. Gauff experienced that during her career as well.
She's not one of the rookies anymore, which is why she has learned some valuable lessons. One of those is not spending time on social media after she loses matches.
"I usually don't go on my phone after losses, and sometimes I do. It doesn't really bother me, to be honest. If anything, it motivates me more."
At the same time, Gauff knows that while she's not really bothered by the online hate because she got used to it, there are still many athletes and tennis players who can be troubled by reading something ugly about themselves.
"But it just depends on the athlete and the person. Some people take it to heart. For me, not so much. Also, I feel like I've become desensitized to it because I've been getting it now for four years."
Gauff now has a few years of experience when it comes to dealing with online hate. She broke through as a 15-year-old prodigy, and by now, she knows what to expect after losses, which is why it can't impact her much anymore.
"When you lose, you expect to get a lot of hate messages. I think you just have to kind of figure out what works best for you. Yeah, I think it's something that athletes shouldn't have to deal with, but unfortunately, we do. I think you have to find a method that works best for you."
At the upcoming WTA Finals, Gauff will want to block out all the negative voices from the outside and focus only on her performance. She will be competing in both singles and doubles with Jessica Pegula.
