Having the support of a million fans has its side effects. Being famous is great, but it also carries an enormous burden. The teenage American tennis star, Coco Gauff truly feels the negative side of support. Like elsewhere, in tennis too, support is often synonymous with expectation. Gauff recently won her first Grand Slam title. And as she lifted the cup high, the weight of expectations on her shoulders got higher. In a recent podcast, tennis analyst Mitch Michaels expanded on Gauff’s kryptonite and ways of dealing with it throughout her career with an example of none other than Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

With the title of the US Open 2023, Coco Gauff created history. Gauff became the first American teenager since Serena Williams to do this. We all know what happened next- comparison. Gauff is just nineteen, and she just won her first title, but this doesn’t stop people from comparing her with Williams. Managing such expectations at a tender age would be a big challenge for Gauff, however, rising from these tough times is what really makes you a ‘great’ in the sport, doesn’t it?

Tough competition can build Coco Gauff

Tough competition decreases the chances of a player’s future win. But, it strengthens the players beyond measure. Coco Gauff is undoubtedly a champion athlete, but she is not alone in the elite court. Among many competitors, there is one such player who has challenged Gauff to her limits. According to Michals, Coco Gauff has to manage this challenge in order to fly higher.

While examining the future expectations of Coco Gauff, the host names her fiercest competition. He said, “Weight of expectations is something serious when you follow it American legends like Coco has, I think the only issue she’s gonna have is that player from Poland because that’s gonna be the player is Iga Swiatek.

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And I know that, you know, she finally did beat her this year, but that eight to one head to head and then Iga like we all expected, it’s going to recalibrate is going to reset not number one anymore.” Michals makes it very clear that Iga Swiatek is going to keep coming back stronger, and Gauff will have to keep her mind. 

This should not scare Coco Gauff, as Michals puts forward a positive note. He said, “That’s the matchup where if Coco figures that out if she can at least make it level, like kind of how Djokovic flipped it on Nadal, then sky’s the limit. She’s gonna start collecting slams”. As a player who aspires to be the greatest, Gauff needs to be aware of her weaknesses at all times. The path to success lies in constantly matching the efforts of the next-best player. 

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Coco Gauff needs to keep getting stronger

Winning and losing is a cycle, but the people involved change constantly. A lot of expectations are attached to Coco Gauff, but she also has plenty of room to grow. Michals said, “I mean, beating Iga we know is going to be tough. And now that Iga knows okay, I have a threat out here. I think she’s going to turn her game up.” As long as this process of getting better continues, Gauff’s future in tennis will remain safe. 

Starting off her career like Serena Williams, people are not wrong in expecting more from Coco Gauff. However, the crucial part is to manage all the expectations and focus on the important things. Gauff is a young prodigy and her story will keep evolving. Will she be able to achieve everything that she sought out for? Let us know through your comments.

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