At just 20, Coco Gauff has already become a powerhouse on the tennis courts, dazzling fans with her skill, athleticism, and determination. But even the brightest stars face their share of challenges, and this season hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for the young American sensation. However, in the midst of a subpar season, it seems she’s found a glimmer of hope and inspiration from none other than retiring ATP star, Dominic Thiem.  

The 31-year-old is all set to hang up his racquets after the Vienna Open, after years of battle with a wrist injury. But ahead of his retirement, Thiem engaged in an interview with Tennis Majors and highlighted how he was completely wrong about his idea of winning a Grand Slam, and it seems like the message is quite relatable for the young American, Gauff.

Speaking in the interview, Thiem said, “I thought winning a Grand Slam would change my life forever. It didn’t.” Remember, the star player lifted the US Open title in 2020, where he defeated Alexander Zverev in an intense five-setter thriller. Continuing further, he shared the change of perspective he witnessed about Grand Slams. “I realize that I gave it too much importance. I thought it would make me happy forever, that it would change my life… but that’s not how it is. It’s an illusion. The truth is that nothing changed.” As Thiem made this statement, Gauff, seemingly related to it. 

Sharing a post on her Instagram Story that detailed the excerpts from the interview, the 20-year-old captioned, “Real.” Just like Dominic Thiem, Gauff has also won only one Grand Slam so far in her career, which came at the US Open in 2023. Winning a title can bring immense hype for the player and Gauff has highlighted previously as well, about how she struggled with hype.

In a post for Behind the Racquet in 2020, Coco Gauff revealed the challenges she faced due to the hype she faced. “Throughout my life, I was always the youngest to do things, which added hype that I didn’t want,” Gauff wrote. “It added this pressure that I needed to do well fast. I just found myself not enjoying what I loved. I realised I needed to start playing for myself and not other people. For about a year, I was really depressed,” she had said. And now, it feels like Thiem’s latest post has Gauff once again. Interestingly, Gauff’s reactions came at a time when she was already witnessing a turbulent season. 

Remember, Gauff has won only titles this season, one at the ASB Classic and the other at the China Open. She has faced major struggles with her service games as was also witnessed at the Semi-finals of the Wuhan Open. Remember, Gauff fired 21 double faults in the match against Sabalenka. But while the star player seemingly does not wish to let the Grand Slams define her career, she is gearing up to overcome her struggles with a remarkable spirit.

When Coco Gauff refused to be bogged down by failures 

Coco Gauff has continued to demonstrate her resilient character time and again and has proved her mettle on the courts at a very young age. And despite the challenging season she faced, the star player is refusing to be let down by her woes and is determined to return to her dominant self yet again. 

Speaking about her poor performance at the Wuhan Open semifinals, Gauff said, “I am working on new things, a slightly different movement, and it is logical that I may encounter problems. I was very surprised at how well my serve worked in Beijing.” Remember, she also changed her coach and decided to part ways with Brad Gilbert. To improve her service game, she joined forces with Matt Daly, and the result was immediately witnessed at the China Open where she clinched the title. Continuing further, she expressed a positive outlook for the remaining of the season.

“I took many positive things from coming close to beating one of the best in the world despite my poor serving performance handicap. I think I just need time and to keep working,” Gauff added. For now, it would be interesting to see how soon would Coco Gauff win another Grand Slam. Will she share any more sentiments that would relate to the ideas of Thiem ahead of his retirement? Well, only time will tell.