WTA star Coco Gauff has been on a winning streak since October. So what’s the secret behind her newfound success? It’s a change in perception. The former US Open champion struggled with major setbacks last season but worked tirelessly to overcome her drawbacks. She is currently representing Team USA in the United Cup and following her victories, in both singles and doubles, in the opening tie against Canada, Gauff emphasized the joy she now finds in her game. The 20-year-old highlighted why it is important to have fun.

Gauff partnered with Taylor Fritz to clinch the mixed doubles match against the Canadian pair of Leylah Fernandez and Felix Auger-Aliassime. Despite facing troubles in both sets, Gauff and Fritz overcame Fernandez and Aliassime by 7-6 (2) and 7-5. This match was important since Fritz had already lost his singles match against Felix Auger-Aliassime and the two teams were tied 1-1 ahead of the mixed doubles match.

Highlighting the importance of Gauff’s support, Fritz thanked the 20-year-old with an honest confession, “After the way I lost my singles match, it would have been really tough to go home today with a mixed doubles loss today as well, Thank you Coco for carrying the team, and we got it done,” he said.

Gauff, on the other hand, was in a relaxed mood. “Oh, yeah, I was having fun. The bench… I was laughing. I was having a good time. I wasn’t thinking about the pressure, to be honest. I was just like, Whatever…Only so much I can do in a mixed doubles match, too. I was just trying my best to have fun and enjoy it, yeah,” she said in the post-match press conference.

Gauff not only won the mixed doubles match but also overpowered Fernandez in the singles by 6-3, 6-2. This is the first time she is featuring in the United Cup and the presence of talented colleagues like Danielle Collins, and Taylor Fritz is making it a fun experience for the 20-year-old. She revealed her feelings, expressing excitement and happiness.

Coco Gauff found the United Cup a “cool event”

The 2024 WTA Finals champion previously united with fellow American players in the Summer Olympics. However, their journey couldn’t bring fruitful results. Now, in the 2025 United Cup, Gauff is leaving no stone unturned to make sure she leads her country to the path of victory. Talking about her goals ahead of the tournament, she said, “This will be my first time playing the United Cup so I’m super excited to kick off the year in Australia…It’s a really, cool event. I had a lot of fun playing mixed doubles at the Olympics so I kinda want to do that again.”

After winning the mixed doubles with Fritz, Gauff added, “Really happy with how we played today in the mixed, I felt we got better the longer the match went. We had a lot of chances and finally, we were able to stick ’em when it mattered,” said Gauff post-victory.

Coco Gauff’s 2025 United Cup performance highlights the importance of joy in professional life. She is in a much better frame of mind now than she was at certain stages of the last season and it’s reflecting in her performance. Despite the pressure, she is choosing to look at the brighter side of things. Do you think Gauff will power Team USA to the United Cup title? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.