‘Nasty’ Bettors Prompt Coco Gauff to Issue a ‘Warning’ to the Upcoming Generation of Athletes

Social media can be very impactful for the mental health of the tennis players. From Naomi Osaka to Coco Gauff, many tennis players spoke about the influence of social media on professional tennis players’ lives. In this regard, former US Open champion Coco Gauff dropped some great advice for the next generation of tennis enthusiasts.

Previously, this American tennis prodigy impressed her fans by revealing how she used social media criticism to improve her skills. Now that Gauff turned twenty during the ongoing Indian Wells, she showed great maturity while speaking about such sensitive topics. More than speaking about her coping mechanism, Gauff becomes an adviser for the newcomers in tennis.

Coco Gauff drops her bits about social media criticism referring to how she used “it to help” herself

In a recent press conference, this American tennis prodigy was asked about how she took social media criticism positively when players like Alcaraz spoke about its impact on their lives. In her response, Gauff said- “Yeah, it definitely was a thing in the past where I would take the comments to heart. I started on tour at 15, and, you know, went from overwhelming positive response to, you know, now there’s pressure that you have to win and to where every loss was negative comments.”

She further added, “Honestly, I didn’t know anything about that as a junior, didn’t know anything about bettors, to be honest, didn’t realize how many people bet on the sport and how nasty the comments can get.”

Gauff mentioned that she took those negative comments sportingly as she didn’t understand their negative impact on her WTA and ATP colleagues. She spoke about believing those criticisms as a “target thing“. Then she realized that every player deals with these criticisms in their own way and she just didn’t take it personally.

Finally, she delves deeper into her comment about using these comments to improve her game. Gauff said- “I’m the type of person, you’re going to see it anyways unless you, like, turn off your phone. I like getting into social media, as you said. It’s just like you either use it to help you or use it to hurt you or completely ignore it, and ignoring it wasn’t an option. You see it, so I just use it to help me.”

Gauff previously spoke about social media criticisms back in Guadalajara Open 2022

Back in 2022, Coco Gauff had a great season as she became one of the top ten singles WTA stars, the number-one WTA player in doubles tennis, a Grand Slam finalist, and a qualifier for both singles and doubles WTA finals. She was only an eighteen-year-old teenager back then. After defeating Martina Trevisan in the Guadalajara Open 2022, this American tennis star spoke about using social media criticism to motivate her hard work.

Gauff said- “I usually don’t go on my phone after a losses, and sometimes I do. It doesn’t really bother me, to be honest. If anything, it motivates me more. But it just depends on the athlete and the person, Some people take it to heart. For me, not so much. Also, I feel like I’ve become desensitized to it because I’ve been getting it now for four years.”

Coco Gauff’s response to social media criticism lately, spoke about her mature understanding of the sport and its fraternity. It also showcases a new Coco Gauff who is not a teenage star anymore but a grounded and brilliant WTA pro.

Read More: She Just Turned 19 for Cryin Out Loud’ – Tennis World Blasts American Tennis Veteran for Her Gloomy Coco Gauff Prophecy