Croft shares her take on Gauff’s struggles this summer.
Former British tennis player and current analyst Annabel Croft believes it is pretty evident that Coco Gauff has been “struggling” and she thinks it’s because the American has been under massive pressure and expectations lately.
Going into this year’s summer, Gauff had very high hopes for Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics – and rightfully so considering how good and consistent she was since the 2023 US Open.
But so far, it hasn’t been a big summer for the 20-year-old American, who picked three consecutive round-of-16 defeats at The Championships, Summer Games and Toronto before also losing her Cincinnati opener last week.
In all those four matches that Gauff lost, she was definitely the favorite – the list of players that have beaten the world No. 3 over the last month and a half includes Emma Navarro, Donna Vekic, Diana Shnaider and Yulia Putintseva.
Following Gauff’s latest loss, in which she blasted 50 unforced errors and saw her Cincinnati title defense end very early, Croft feels concerned about the 20-year-old heading into the US Open. It should also be mentioned that Gauff looked especially during an Olympic loss to Vekic and even broke down in tears on the court over one controversial call before bowing out of the event.
Croft: I feel sad watching Gauff at the moment…
“I feel really sad watching her at the moment, because I’m such a huge fan of her tennis and the way she’s gone about her business… She’s struggling. This is the biggest time, coming up to try to defend that US Open title. I feel like every time I watch her now, she looks a little bit burdened by the pressure and expectation,” Croft told Sky Sports.
“What happened at Wimbledon, where the forehand really sort of went to pieces and broke down. And when you watch her play now, there’s kind of an expression on her face that looks worried. She just doesn’t look like she’s really enjoying her tennis.
“I feel like that sort of pressure has been building for quite a few months actually. I’m sure it’s been looming over her, coming back to the US Open…. But I just feel like she’s struggling with it all and she’s probably overthinking everything on the court at the moment.”
In the same interview, Croft also noted fragilities in the game “become heightened when you’re under your most extreme pressure.”
For Gauff, getting through her opening couple of matches at Flushing Meadows could be the key because it could help her find some form and ryhthtm and ultimately build up her confidence.
