It’s never been easy being Coco Gauff. Since capturing her maiden Slam in 2023, the weight of expectation has chased her like a shadow. Despite her likable nature, the hate has been loud, relentless, and even bizarre. Critics pounced after her back-to-back Middle East losses in March this year, prompting her to confront it head-on: “Everyone makes a bigger deal than what it is,” she said. “I lost 2 matches… I’ll lose more matches back to back. It’s going to happen.” That’s Gauff, owning the setbacks, embracing the grind. Now, as Wimbledon’s green lawns rise again, the American stands tall, revealing how she absorbs the noise and turns it into fire. Curious to know what she said?

In a recent sit-down with BBC Sport ahead of Wimbledon, American top seed Coco Gauff opened up with striking honesty about what it takes to stay grounded in an era where every move by an athlete is dissected, be it a post, a quote, or a fleeting moment caught on camera. When asked how she manages to remain so unapologetically herself, Gauff didn’t flinch: “Yeah, I think you have to realize you can’t. Someone’s going to find something wrong with everything, so you just kind of have to just stay true to yourself and realize your morals and things like that.” 

But Gauff didn’t stop there; she dove deeper into the grey area of scrutiny. At just 21, she’s figured out the thin line between critique and cruelty. “Sometimes I think scrutiny, I would not say helpful, [but] it’s like healthy criticism. It makes you think of things from a different perspective. But sometimes you can’t tell the difference between healthy comments and just plain out hate, and just have to be able to discern that.” 

When pressed about growing up in the spotlight, a digital generation forged in the wild flames of social media chaos, Coco Gauff didn’t shy away. “I feel like, because it’s all I know at this point, I mean I came out [turned pro at] 15, and yeah, I feel like it’s just something I grew into and learned. But, you know, I think for me, it’s just staying true to yourself, and you have to really know yourself, I feel like in this world.” 

And when it comes to her voice, Gauff stands firm, her feet planted like roots through concrete. “When you know yourself, you’re able to be yourself, and also not worry about what other people are doing. And then when you have opinions on things going on in the world, like I usually do, you just have to be able to stand ten toes down behind them.” Strong. Certain. Ten toes down: Gauff isn’t just surviving the spotlight; she’s owning it.

Even before the latest Wimbledon chapter, Coco Gauff had already spoken with bold honesty about how she handles criticism. Flashback to the 2024 WTA Finals, in a post-match press conference, one reporter asked how she balances the crushing weight of expectations with her passion for the game. Her answer? Unapologetically raw: “I think, for me, I think honestly, pettiness. Yeah, I think, that’s really the answer. I think I just love to be, like, say I’m right and stuff, and obviously it doesn’t work. I don’t win all the time, but, specifically today, I got a lot of comments about how I was going to lose badly today. “

The 2023 US Open champion dove deeper, sharing how she’s rewired her mindset. “I use it as motivation. And before, I used to use it as pressure and I was like, you know, the expectations are always going to be there for me, and I kind of turned it into like, people are expecting so much from you, so that means people see potential in you, so you should see the potential in yourself.” It’s not just mental strength, it’s mental transformation, and Gauff wears it like armor as she later won the final at Riyadh.

Now, as she takes on Wimbledon with her mind clear and confidence soaring, Gauff has also opened up about another desire, and it surprisingly ties directly to Spain’s tennis prodigy, Carlos Alcaraz. What’s brewing there? 

Coco Gauff eyes Carlos Alcaraz’s rare Wimbledon achievement

Earlier this month, Coco Gauff carved her name into history by winning her maiden Roland Garros title, holding her nerve in a fierce battle against Aryna Sabalenka. However, a 20-year-old still has work to do. Riding the wave of her French Open triumph, Gauff has set her sights on the grass of Wimbledon, hungry for more, chasing the elusive double known as the Channel Slam.

In a recent interview ahead of the Championships, Gauff didn’t hold back on her ambition. She admitted to drawing inspiration from tennis greats who have achieved the feat before. “I understand why it hasn’t been done that often. Except, I guess, Carlos; he makes it look easy,” she said, with a grin and a nod to the reigning men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Alcaraz claimed the Channel Slam last year, and he could do it this year, too. Djokovic last did it in 2021. Serena Williams, the iconic force Gauff grew up watching, pulled it off twice, once in 2002 and again in 2015. For Gauff, it’s not just about trophies. It’s about legacy and becoming one of the few who’ve conquered both clay and grass in the same breath.

But before she can lift the Wimbledon crown, Gauff must first begin her journey against 25-year-old Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska. With fire in her heart and belief in her game, could this be the year she transforms hope into history at the All England Club?