Coco Gauff is slowly but surely growing into an adult, which used to scare her, but now it's something she embraces.
Gauff was a teenager when she broke out in tennis at 15 and she was a teenager only last month, when she turned 20. Slowly but surely, though, she's been maturing and transforming into an adult, which has been an interesting process for her.
Growing up, she was really scared of it, but now she embraces it. Many people who have gone through a similar process understand how overwhelming it might be, but over time, she is getting used to it and seeing its positive aspects.
For Gauff, moving out would be the next step, but it's not a huge priority for her now, as she revealed when talking to TIME, in an interview published during her 2024 Madrid Open participation, where she recorded her first-ever 6-0, 6-0 win.
"At first I was scared to grow up. But now I’m embracing adulthood and womanhood. I don’t have a timeline on moving out. I always say it’ll happen in my 20s at some point."
Growing up and maturing didn't just happen outside of the tennis courts. It happened on the tennis courts as well, as she finally won a Grand Slam. It happened last year at the US Open, which was a special achievement as she did it on home soil.
Her parents still travel with her, sometimes her father and sometimes her mother. It's not something that will change anytime soon, even though she's now over 18. She's also opened up about her relationship recently, although she keeps the details private.
"This is my first real relationship. To just have someone to talk to who is not involved in tennis at all gives me a fresh perspective. My mom always said, if they’re bad in school, they’re probably bad as adults. He’s always been a smart, nice kid."