Coco Gauff, Grand Slam champion in the making

Receiving a runner-up trophy at Roland Garros at just 18 years old after succumbing to the world No.1 in the final, Coco Gauff has all it takes to be a multi-time Grand Slam champion.

Inspired by the Williams sisters in her early childhood, Coco Gauff’s attitude on and off the court and the passion she shows for the game are reminiscent of her accomplished compatriots. Winning her first WTA singles title at just 15 years of age, the American teenager has been making grand strides in her career with each passing year. As the youngest player in the Top 100, Gauff has a bright future ahead of her as a potential Grand Slam champion and more!

Roland Garros runner-up

It’s a tough time to be a professional women’s tennis player on the WTA Tour, as Iga Swiatek steamrolls the competition as the new world No.1 with an incredible win streak and consecutive titles to her name. In a league where consistency is the greatest factor for success, it will take a special somebody to end the Pole’s reign of dominance, and that person could well be the rising teen from the USA, Coco Gauff.

After an incredible run at the French Open, having not dropped a set en route to the finals, Coco Gauff demonstrated a high level of consistent efforts to set up her shot for the title against Iga Swiatek. Being her first major final, the young American certainly felt the nerves coming in strong in the opening set but managed to break in the second set for a 2-0 lead. Despite a valiant effort, it was not enough to contain the top seed, though it certainly was enough to land Gauff a new career-high ranking of world No.13.

Amazing doubles ranking

One of the unique aspects and sure-telling signs of a great champion in the making is if their doubles records are as positive as their singles records. We have seen this to be true for some of the game’s best WTA champions such as Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova, and Margaret Court, all of whom had equally as impressive records across both tennis departments. Coco Gauff not only reached the singles final at the 2022 Roland Garros, but also the doubles final, making her a well-rounded player with a broadened skillset.

In fact, Coco Gauff’s doubles ranking had also taken a huge jump after her runner-up performance alongside Jessica Pegula, propelling her to the world number 5 spot, a career-high that even surpasses her singles record. One of the amazing things about being an accomplished doubles player is that it offers the opportunity to sharpen key transferrable skills such as wide serves and offensive net play. In an era of baseline dominant competition, being able to break the rhythm of a rally with strong volleys and net pressure is an invaluable resource that could easily give a player the edge.

Champion attitude

Composure, positivity, and an extraordinary work ethic are the ingredients needed to make a Grand Slam champion. Graceful in victory and humble in defeat is what Coco Gauff is all about, and these champion-like traits certainly don’t take away from her on-court attitude of a warrior in the heat of battle. Going into the semifinal of the 2022 Roland Garros, Gauff described her newfound mindset as one of self-love and gratitude for the situation she is in, stating “it’s important that you have high hopes for yourself, but at the same time it’s important to be in reality and I think that’s where I am.”

Indeed, Coco Gauff has constantly been compared to the likes of Serena Williams despite not winning her maiden Slam yet, but it seems the young teen from Atlanta has overcome the pressure and unfair expectations by keeping her mind grounded and her energy protected. With that, one can begin to understand how this young lady who is maturing so quickly was able to reach the final of a Grand Slam shortly after turning 18. It’ll be interesting to see how far Coco Gauff will go at the upcoming Wimbledon and, better yet, the US Open where she will play on her preferred surface in front of her home crowd.