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via Reuters

via Reuters

Coco Gauff etched her name in the history books as she laid her hands on the US Open title for the first time in her life. Despite being just 19, she managed to make her way to the top and eventually win the prestigious trophy. However, deep behind her road to victory was a little ingredient of success that was given to her by her brother.

Now, months after laying her hands on the title, the young American prodigy has come ahead and revealed the secret to her success at the US Open back last year. Interestingly, this advice was not given to her by the coach or anyone else but her brother. He was a major factor behind Gauff’s triumph in 2023.

How brother Codey’s advice turned the tide for Coco Gauff’s triumphant run at the US Open

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Coco Gauff finally split the beans on her winning strategy that made a difference in her journey at the US Open. Reflecting on her US Open victory, she shared a game-changing tip from her brother Codey. He gave her simpler yet powerful advice which proved to be the turning point for her.

He suggested that instead of thinking about winning two sets, imagine it’s three. By making the trophy seem farther away, Gauff found herself more relaxed on the court. This eventually helped her a lot in making sure that she laid her hands on the title.

“Yeah, Codey. He told me, Pretend that you have to win three sets instead of two. If you put your mindset into the extra mile, then it seems easier I guess in a way. He would say, Okay, if you want to win the Grand Slam, say you have to win eight matches instead of seven. It’s like changing your mindset so it feels further,” said Gauff.

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“He said that, like, to me maybe a year ago. It always stuck with me about that because it’s, like, I think at French Open I felt like it was so close, and I just got so tight. At US Open it just felt so far away from the very first point of the match literally until match point was over. ‘Cause even though I had one more game to win, I was telling myself, Okay, you have a whole ‘nother set to win. Well, not a set, but another set to win before you can get this trophy,” said Coco Gauff in the interview.

She further added that the advice that she got worked very well in her favor as she tricked her mind. She suggested that it is the mind that controls your body and if you know how to trick your mind, you can have a little control over your body. These steps eventually helped her as she was able to trick her mind which helped her lay her hands on her first ever grand slam.

Also read: After Rumored Collaboration with Coco Gauff, Serena Williams’ Childhood Coach Reveals the Youngster’s Biggest Negative (EXCLUSIVE)

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Thus, Codey’s clever idea, given a year ago, helped Coco Gauff as she dealt with the nerves and pressure that she felt in earlier Grand Slam matches. This unique approach of extending herself to one extra game eventually helped her and made sure that she bagged the victory in her favor.

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