
USA Today via Reuters
Aug 30, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Coco Gauff of the United States reacts after winning a point against Magda Linette of Poland on day one of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports

USA Today via Reuters
Aug 30, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Coco Gauff of the United States reacts after winning a point against Magda Linette of Poland on day one of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
Coco Gauff’s journey is filled with triumphs on the court. Behind the scenes, though, she struggles with the harsh reality of a busy schedule that frequently provides little time for hobbies or personal interests. The 20-year-old recently opened up about how difficult it was for her to reschedule her cooking sessions on a regular basis because of her busy tennis schedule.
The reigning US Open champion gave fans a peek into her life away from the tennis court with a recent Instagram post that included photographs from a much-anticipated cooking session. But in the midst of her happiness at being able to engage in the activity she had long desired, the young American also revealed the unpleasant truth of her hectic schedule.

via Getty
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 09: Coco Gauff hits a forehand smash against Aryna Sabalenka of Russia in the women’s final of US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 09, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Frey/TPN/Getty Images)
In addition, she wrote, “I had fun training so I can pretend to be a chef in the bear lol. can’t wait to use what I learned and make food for my family! thank you @stephan.dalsoglio for the gift. and thank you @thecookingclubhouse for letting us reschedule a million times because of my match schedule:)”
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Gauff revealed the difficulties of having to constantly reschedule the culinary sessions because of her intense tennis commitments, despite her desire to pursue hobbies outside of tennis. This open admission provides insight into the delicate balancing act that professional athletes like Gauff have to perform between their demanding training regimens and personal hobbies.
Just before that story, she also shed a picture of what she was cooking and wrote, “Learning how to make tapas! clearly did not expect that much fire.” Other than cooking last year, Gauff revealed that there are more things on the list that intrigue her outside the tennis arena.
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She said, “Yeah, that’s something that I’ve been thinking about a lot. I haven’t really found what I’m quite passionate in outside of tennis, to be honest. I mean, I really do love fashion. I love makeup. I love that type of thing. I just haven’t really thought about how I would build that into a brand.”
She also emphasized her love of shopping in New York City’s busy streets and her affinity for fashion after winning the US Open. She is not alone, though, as the world number one, Iga Swiatek even expressed her frustration with the demanding schedule during the WTA final last year.
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Iga Swiatek’s thoughts on the hectic tennis schedule
The world number one drew attention to the challenges presented by the extended tennis season last year, which ended around mid-December. Expressing her sentiments, Iga Swiatek remarked, “Our season is constantly being extended. We don’t start the season in January because I go to train in Abu Dhabi or Dubai already in mid-December.”
She nevertheless thinks that initiatives to strengthen and advance the WTA brand shouldn’t be hindered by these difficulties. With the tournaments coming up in Saudi Arabia, the WTA tours are extending, and players are not getting a break to work on their personal lives. Nevertheless, top stars speaking up about this issue might bring a positive change yet!
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