Coco Gauff. Photo / Photosport
American teenager Coco Gauff understands the constant comparisons with Serena Williams but is determined to carve her own niche in the sport, rather than strive to be the “next anyone”.
The world No 7, who starts her ASB Classic campaign today, has lived with immense expectation for most of her life.
She has been a tennis prodigy since primary school, in a country always on the lookout for the next big thing.
As a 12-year-old she was profiled in an ESPN article entitled “Why Cori Gauff hopes she’ll be the greatest of all time”, while a year later Tennis.com wrote that Gauff had the potential to be the ‘GOAT’.
It was crazy stuff, but not unexpected, as Gauff’s athleticism, power, maturity and precocious talent evoked memories of a young Williams.
That talk has only intensified since the retirement of Williams last year.
Gauff is seen as the heir apparent, following the lineage of dominant American females on the WTA tour. That’s a lot for an 18-year-old to process but Gauff doesn’t feel any extra pressure.
“I honestly never thought about it like that because I feel like me and Serena aren’t even on a comparison level,” said Gauff. “She’s the GOAT and I’m still trying to figure my way.
“People always compare me to her, saying I’ll be the next [Serena], since I was probably eight years old. So it’s not something that adds pressure. I feel like because I’ve just dealt with it my whole life it seems almost normal to me and I don’t feel like I have to fill any shoes. Because I’ve always had the idea and philosophy that there’s never going to be a next anyone.”
Nevertheless, Gauff has had to deal with a lot.
She was the talk of Wimbledon in 2019, as a 15-year-old qualifier ranked 313, with her run to the fourth round.
Her matches were the most watched on US television, with an accompanying avalanche of publicity.
It was even greater at Flushing Meadows a few months later, as she reached the third round as a wildcard, facing world No 1 Naomi Osaka, where the pressure and expectation became almost too much.
“I remember just feeling so emotional because I didn’t want to be a one-hit wonder,” said Gauff. “It’s sad that I was thinking about that at the time, because I really should have enjoyed getting to play on Arthur Ashe [stadium] or getting to play the defending champion and I really didn’t, as I was just letting myself feed into what everybody else was saying.”
That match was a turning point.
“It probably changed the course of my life because I realised that I shouldn’t have felt like that and should have just enjoyed the game,” said Gauff. “I’m grateful for that experience. Because if I kept feeling like that it could be a different outcome in where I am now today.”
The weight on her shoulders back then was evident during her last Auckland appearance in January 2020, when she was moved to tears following a second round defeat.
“I feel like I was putting more pressure on myself then [at world No 67] because I was coming off the Wimbledon run,” explained Gauff. “And I just felt like everybody was looking at me and watching me play. Even though now I’m in the top 10, it’s a lot less pressure.”
Since her 2019 breakthrough Gauff has been accumulating milestones, albeit not in the same supersonic way, which suits her fine.
There are countless examples of teen sensations that soared spectacularly but couldn’t maintain it, from Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger to Jennifer Capriati and Jelena Dokic. Gauff wants to avoid that.
“I’m glad that I’m able to continue this improvement,” said Gauff. “I guess [the] biggest fear with my team was trying to make sure I didn’t get burned out too early and I’m still young. So hopefully that doesn’t happen.”
Gauff has a lot of “personal goals” for 2023 but says a grand slam title is the ultimate.
“It’s going to be like that every year, I guess till I retire,” said Gauff.
Reaching her first major final at Roland Garros last year was a big step, admitting nerves will be less of a factor next time. She is focused on the small improvements – from tactical to mentality – that all add up.
Gauff enjoyed the New Year’s Eve fireworks, but only after taking a nap so she didn’t miss any sleep. She spent last week in Auckland with her family – with sightseeing scheduled around training – before they departed yesterday, to let her focus on business.
That starts today against crafty German world No 68 Tatjana Maria, one of the highest ranked unseeded players. The 35-year-old reached the Wimbledon semifinals last year – by far the best result of her career – and won’t be an easy start to 2023 for Gauff.
Other big names in action include 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu (No 78), who faces rising Czech talent Linda Fruhvirtova (No 79), while second seed Sloane Stephens (No 37) is up against Spanish qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse (No 117).