Canadian Open: Coco Gauff Discards Expectations as She Sends a Strong Message Following Paris Olympics’ Heartbreak
Coco Gauff has found herself on the brink of victory time and again, only to be met with heart-wrenching disappointment. It’s as if Mother Destiny is playing a cruel game, holding back the victories she so richly deserves. These near-misses have started to weigh heavily on the young American’s mind, casting a shadow over her mental game as she prepares for the Canadian Open. And now, the American seems to enter the tournament without expecting anything!
The 20-year-old tennis star engaged in an presser ahead of the tournament in Toronto. While players are usually pumped and geared up to be a significant force in every tournament, Gauff’s enthusiasm seems to be at the bottom as she has expressed her lack of desire ahead of the event.
When quizzed about her expectations from the tournament, the American star highlighted indifference. “Yeah, well see I mean I have no expectations for this week. I am not going into this expecting to win or um anything,” she said. Gauff’s sentiments are quite understandable as well given the tough time she has had on tennis courts lately.
The star player was whisked out of the Paris Olympics last with a controversial call accompanying her clash. As Gauff was trailing in the third round of her maiden Olympics run against Donna Vekic, a shot by her opponent in the second set was called out by the line umpire. Coco perceived that she won the point and hit the ball out herself. But the chair umpire stepped in to declare that the shot was played inside the line.
Ideally, the point should have been played again, the Croat was awarded the point. This left Gauff shattered, who cried inconsolably on the court. She also lashed out at the organizers and said, “This isn’t fair, I’ve been cheated.” Besides, she did not fail to achieve significantly in the tournaments she has participated in recently, other than the French Open women’s doubles where she won alongside Katerina Siniakova.
However, she did not fail to highlight the importance of victory for herself. Continuing further in the interview, she said, “Obviously, it’ll be great, that’s a goal but like you know we’ll be realistic,” highlighting the transition challenges in the tournament.
“I was on clay, like 3 days ago so um, yeah I think overall I am just trying to use this just to see where I am at and what I need to do to get ready for US Open.” But, these remarks are equally worrisome for tennis enthusiasts. Gauff is the reigning US Open champion, hence, the excitement for her to enter the final slam of the season should have been exciting. However, despite the skepticism, Gauff is expecting a positive vibe at the event.
Gauff relies on fan support to have a ‘good week’ in Canada
The American tennis star has faced a critical draw at the Canadian Open. She will potentially have to cruise past Diana Shnaider, sixth seed Liudmila Samsonova, and compatriot Jessica Pegula to win big at this tournament. But amidst such a situation as this, the tennis star is relying on the support of fans to achieve significantly at the tournament.
When questioned about sensing a ‘positive vibe’ from the Canadian fans, the World No.2 answered positively. “Yeah, for sure in Toronto maybe not so much Montreal just because it’s more the French side. But for sure, in Toronto, it feels as close as you can get to the US,” Gauff said. Continuing further, she expressed her desire to have a happy week at the venue. “The fans, they’re really receptive of me. I got to meet some cool people so, yeah, I’m excited to hopefully have a good week here,” she added.”
As the tournament progresses, it would be interesting to see if Gauff can benefit from her indifference and lack of expectations, or make a change. But what remains critical for her is to compete at her best level to defend the US Open
