Coco Gauff reveals how she deals with ‘flop era’ comments as she makes confession about her boyfriend
Coco Gauff famously took a swipe at her critics after winning the US Open and she has again insisted she sees negative feedback as her motivation to improve.
After winning her maiden Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows in September 2023, Gauff told her “haters” during the post-match trophy presentation ceremony: “I want to say, honestly, thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me.
“A month ago, I won a 500 title and people said, I would stop at that. Two weeks ago, I won a 1000 title and people were saying that was the biggest it was going to get.
“So three weeks later, I’m here with this trophy right now. I’ve tried my best to carry this with grace and I’ve been doing my best. So to those who thought they were putting water on my fire, you were really adding gas to it. And now I’m really burning so bright right now.”
Following her excellent 2023 season, Gauff started this campaign with the Auckland Open title in January, but she didn’t quite hit the same heights as the previous year for several months as she suffered several early exits.
The “haters” were once again loud after she struggled to pull together a decent run during the North American hard-court swing.
“I remember after my loss in Cincinnati, they have the TV on Tennis Channel in the locker room,” Gauff told WTA Insider. “I couldn’t hear what they were saying but the headline was like ‘Gauff’s Slump Summer’ or something like that.
“I looked at that and I was just like, ‘Dang, I have to turn it around somehow.’ And then I lost a pretty tough match against Emma [Navarro] at US Open. A lot of people were critiquing my season, you know, ‘Flop era.’ I know all the Twitter terms.
“I think for me it was just motivation. I’m the author of my own story, and I’m not going to let anybody write me off.”
She was back to her best at the WTA Finals where she beat Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek – the top two players in the WTA Rankings – en route to lifting the title.
Gauff, though, admits it is sometimes difficult deal with unfavourable remarks on social media and when asked how she handles the comments, she replied: “I don’t really talk to my team or anybody. Sometimes my boyfriend, but not to a deep extent.
“I do journal a lot, and I think it’s just a lot of self-reflection and self-awareness. I do have a therapist. I haven’t gone in a while, but I do that. I try to go once every two weeks, schedule permitting.
“I think a combination of her, myself and obviously my parents. My dad is pretty petty like me. I’m pretty sure the first thing he’s going to say when I call him is something about what people were saying about me.”
