By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday, October 29, 2022
Age is only a quantity in the case of Coco Gauff, the precocious American who’s a top-5 participant in singles and doubles in the meanwhile, and one of many brightest stars within the galaxy of ladies’s tennis.
Forward of her debut on the WTA Finals in Fort Price, Gauff says she just isn’t paying a lot consideration to the truth that she’s nonetheless solely 18, and continues to set age-related information as she climbs up the WTA rankings.
“I do not actually take note of it,” Gauff instructed reporters. “Not that I am not grateful. Clearly I am actually grateful. With regards to these statistics and stats about my age, I suppose… I imply, it is cool, however I really feel prefer it’s my life, so I do not have a look at it as wonderful or excellent as different folks have a look at it.”
What’s essential to Gauff, nonetheless, is the truth that she has proved the doubters flawed by answering all of the robust questions in her third 12 months on tour. In her pre-tournament press convention, she referred to her breakout season, when she stormed Wimbledon as a 15 12 months previous, changing into the youngest participant to achieve the second week at SW19 since 1991.
Howdy Texas 🤠 @JLPegula pic.twitter.com/62NNMozoo2
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) October 29, 2022
Gauff sees her qualification for this 12 months’s WTA Finals, the place she turned the youngest to qualify for singles since Maria Sharapova in 2005, as proof that she’s headed in the precise path.
“It means loads to me,” Gauff mentioned. “I believe it proves, simply exhibits my enchancment all through the years. I busted onto the scene in a really large manner, and lots of people have been having opinions on whether or not or not I’d do effectively or not.
“I believe this simply proves that each one the work that I’ve put in is paying off. Clearly I need to go additional. The WTA Finals just isn’t the place I need this chapter to finish. I believe it simply exhibits that I am progressing. Typically I neglect that I’m. I believe it permits me to take a step again and notice that I’m one of many high eight gamers on this planet, and I ought to be thankful for that.”
Gauff has been drawn into the Tracy Austin Group, with Iga Swiatek, Caroline Garcia and Daria Kasatkina – she’s going to open her occasion towards Garcia within the second singles match on Tuesday night in Fort Price.
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