American WTA star Coco Gauff‘s tennis skills and honesty are as sharp as a blade. After a disappointing run at the 2024 US Open, this player didn’t dwell on her losses. She returned to her practice session under Florida’s blazing sun, openly expressing her emotions. With a display of great determination, Gauff lays bare her deep passion for tennis.

Gauff experienced quite a few ups and downs throughout her 2024 season. She attended the Paris Olympics and was in the spotlight as the United States’ flag-bearer. However, she didn’t earn any medals at the event. Her performances in the Grand Slams were also average. She reached the 2024 Australian Open and French Open semifinals but lost. She only claimed a victory in doubles at Roland Garros. The former US Open winner was defeated by Emma Navarro in the Round of 16 at both Wimbledon and the US Open. Her underwhelming performances, coupled with numerous double faults, raised concerns about her current form. Despite facing many criticisms, Gauff didn’t lose hope but returned to practice with renewed energy.

This WTA No. 6 shared a photo on her Instagram story, showing her and her coach, Felipe Ramirez Luna, lying exhausted on a hard court surface on a sunny day. Both looked worn out, resting abruptly on the court. Gauff’s caption revealed the story behind the image: “8 sets of 100M 3 sets of 400, 200, 100, and 6 sets of 25M. 20-30 sects rest in between sets. 3 mins in between rounds all right after a 2 hour tennis practice and 94 degrees outside & 104 on the track/court. #happysaturday glad didn’t choose track too hard out here for chile @feliperamirezluna may or may not have sat out for a few sets,” she wrote.

Those familiar with Coco Gauff might know about her track and field skills. This WTA player has spent time running on tracks alongside her tennis practices. Tennis Snow media publication presented Gauff’s thoughts on track and field if she hadn’t pursued tennis. “I don’t know if I would have been as good as I was in tennis in track, but I strongly feel like if I would have trained I could have been an Olympian, rack is the only sport I would say that in, just because I did do well in middle school, never training, I didn’t go to one track practice, and I won all my races except two, and both were against the same girl and she was in 8th grade,” said Gauff.

Given that her mother was a track and field athlete for Florida, it’s easy to see where Gauff inherited her remarkable track and field genes. However, the American player chose tennis and has shown remarkable growth in her career.

While Gauff’s intense love for tennis is evident, she had a small dream of pursuing track and field professionally. Despite choosing a different path, the WTA No. 6 revealed the names of track and field stars she would love to compete against.

Coco Gauff picked her speediest rivals if she was a track and field player

Gauff may be a tennis star, but her track and field skills were undeniable. Veteran coach Rick Macci once hailed the WTA star as “a track star that has a tennis racquet in her hand.” While Gauff is happy with her decision to focus on tennis, she mentioned some of her favorite track and field stars in a playful confession about who she would like to compete against if she had pursued the sport.

“I think Alycia Parks, she’s pretty quick, has a good stride. And Iga [Swiatek] is pretty quick, too. I think those two would give me a run, I would be curious to test it, to be honest! I do feel like I am the fastest mover, to be honest. I’d be really interested,” she said.

Despite her interest in track and field, Gauff’s recent social media post reflects her passion for tennis. Her tennis season may have been average, but that hasn’t diminished her love for the sport. After her ups and downs, it seems like Gauff is practicing harder than ever, determined to return to the court with a bang in the future. Do you think she can make it?