19-Year-Old Coco Gauff Oozes Confidence as She Details How She Stands Out From Her American Tennis Compatriots – ‘I Grew to Love..’

Is 2023 going to be Coco Gauff’s year at the French Open? The answer to this question is something only time can tell. However, Coco Gauff has certainly made a good start to the clay court season. As a preparatory tournament for the Roland Garros, Gauff took part in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in the German city of Stuttgart. She posted a fine win against World No. 13 Veronika Kudermetova in the Round of 32 before succumbing to a straight-set defeat to Anastasia Potapova.

After her win in the round of 32, Gauff reflected on the match and how she could have done a better job of defeating Kudermetova. She also talked about her experience in playing on clay courts, which is quite impressive considering the fact that she is still only 19 years old.

Transitioning from hard to clay court proved challenging for Coco Gauff

Before Gauff got on a plane and headed to Stuttgart, she was participating in Team USA’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Austria. Gauff impressed everyone against Austria despite her grandmother becoming the star of the show. However, the qualifier was on a hard court at the Delray Beach Tennis Center in Florida.

According to a report by tennis.com, playing on a clay court only a few days after playing on a hard court can be problematic for Gauff, as she said, “I was on a hard court three days ago, in the U.S. three days ago… I knew it was going to be tough for me today, so I was just taking it for what it is.”

The self-critical side of Gauff also came out during the post-match interview, as Gauff stated that she “could have won in straights”. However, as the match unfolded, she “mentally prepared” herself “for that happening.” Gauff found the first set comfortable, as she roared to a 6-2 win. However, Kudermetova came back in the second set and won it 4-6. Ultimately, the decisive third set went to a tiebreaker, which went Gauff’s way.

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Gauff looked back on her clay court experience

Gauff began playing on the red clay when she was just 10 years old. At 15, she earned a place in the wild card round for the junior French Open as well. The 2021 French Open was also a successful outing for Gauff, who was only 17 at the time, but managed to reach the quarterfinals. At the 2022 French Open, Gauff went all the way to final but fell short at the last hurdle against an all-conquering Iga Swiatek.

Following her Stuttgart victory over Kudermetova, Gauff said, “I have a bit of experience on clay, compared to most Americans, especially red clay.” She went on to say, “It’s a surface I grew to love.”

Can Gauff make a similar impact in the upcoming French Open? Will she become the first American star to win a Grand Slam title after the legendary Serena Williams?

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