“Thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me” was the most famous statement in tennis last year. The American WTA star Coco Gauff, who became the youngest player to lift the US Open trophy, was the voice behind this confident claim. The 20-year-old achieved remarkable levels of success at an early age but still, many carried doubts about her dominance. As WTA veteran Danielle Collins explores her last season as a pro, she revealed how Gauff managed to crack something that “the general public” won’t understand.

In a podcast with Jimmy Connors and Brett Connors, Danielle Collins shared her thoughts on Coco Gauff’s rapid rise in the highly competitive scenario. Reflecting on her own journey, the 30-year-old emphasized how different her paths had been in terms of age and growth as compared to Gauff, as she said, “I think if I would’ve turned pro at an early age, I would’ve burned out because there are a lot of challenges that I think the general public has any insight into.”

Collins further highlighted the intense pressure young athletes face, during the start of their careers, adding, “It’s a lot of pressure for the young kids.” And that is why, according to Collins, Gauff’s achievement at Flushing Meadows last year was so special. “This is her destiny, this is, you know, her god-given talent,” Collins remarked, recognizing how Gauff not only excels in tennis but also stands for important values outside the sport.

Gauff’s early success became evident when she secured a major victory by defeating Venus Williams (6-4, 6-4) at Wimbledon back in 2019. At just 15 years of age, this victory marked the beginning of her journey to greatness. After clinching the 2023 US Open title at 19, Gauff became the youngest American champion since Serena Williams in 1999. Reflecting on her path and the influence of the Williams sisters, Coco Gauff expressed gratitude and therefore highlighted how important they were to her development.

While many doubted Gauff’s potential, her US Open victory acted as the perfect stage to serve the critics with a cold response. “Thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me… for those who thought you were putting water on my fire, you were really adding gas to it,” Gauff said back in 2023. Although the WTA star has faced a fair share of ups and downs throughout this season, fans still have massive expectations of her and she is going into the US Open in a positive frame of mind, after a short break.

Former pro suggests Coco Gauff to take a mental reset

After her early exits at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Masters, Coco Gauff presented the need for a mental reset. Although she skipped the traditional press conference, she spoke with the tournament organizers in a Q&A session. Gauff shared her plan to “go home and try to reset” before starting her US Open title defense campaign.

Soon after Gauff’s remarks made rounds on social media, Monica Puig, the 2016 Rio Olympics gold medalist, weighed in on the young star’s situation during a live telecast with the ‘Tennis Channel’. Puig highlighted the importance of a mental reset for Gauff before the US Open. “I would love to see her make a mental reset. We know the type of tennis she is capable of playing. She needs to focus on serving well, playing the aggressive game style. But, maybe put the US Open and what happened last year behind and start fresh and just build from there,” Puig advised.

Gauff’s recent performances have raised questions about her ability to defend her title at Flushing Meadows. While she took a short break to spend some time with her family, it remains to be seen if the reset strategy worked for her.