Playing on one of the biggest platforms of tennis or playing against your idol—what could be more pressure-inducing? Coco Gauff, the scenario is a thing of the past. Gauff, who debuted at Wimbledon when she was only 15 years old, had only one goal in mind. Recalling her teenage mindset against Venus Williams in her 2019 Wimbledon run, Gauff shared her candid thoughts on why she wants to replicate the same “mentality” once again on-court!

Coco Gauff, who idolized Venus Williams growing up, admitted how she learned “humility,” and letting the “emotions out on the court” from the five-time Wimbledon champion. And Gauff did! The then-teenager eventually overpowered her idol in straight sets (4-6, 4-6) and gained overnight popularity! For the then 15-year-old, the moment became a motivation to play even better. However, more than the platform itself, she draws her power from her opponent. The SW19 is no exception to that.

“I went back to the mentality I had when I was 15 — there was only one match I was nervous for and that was to play Venus and that was because it was Venus, not because it was Wimbledon. But second round, third, fourth I was never nervous and I feel like that now,” the American tennis pro told the Daily Mail UK.

A consistent participant in the slam since 2019, the American has struggled to keep up her pace and move past round 4. The reason? “After that first Wimbledon I felt a lot of pressure. I felt almost suffocated by expectations like I wasn’t playing for myself.”  What changed her mindset then?

Surprisingly, it was her last year’s first-round defeat that led her to the realization, “I had to worry about myself and not the other expectations people have for me.” Since the defeat, Gauff is vying to win her second on grass while also being aware of the high expectations on her shoulders.

After all, the 20-year-old has already reached the top 2 spot in tennis this season. The stakes have never been higher for Gauff! Nevertheless, Gauff, who believes “ranking is just a number,” is not ready to bury herself under immense pressure, even if she is playing in one of the biggest slams.

Instead, her agenda is clear. She wants to remind herself of her 15-year-old self mentality during her match against Williams. Gauff also once shared more about her thought process during that game in an earlier interview.

Coco Gauff spilled the beans on how she once overpowered Venus Williams at Wimbledon

It was hardly a year after Gauff’s arrival on the professional circuit that she firmly established her on-court prowess. When she stood in front of the seven-time grand slam champion, Venus Williams, her goal was clear. Imagine Queen V as just another opponent and not recognize her as a master of the game! “A lot of times during that match I didn’t even look at the scoreboard because I didn’t want to see her (Venus) name.” 

However, even then, she required more effort to simply enter the court and play against her idol. Why not? After all, Williams knows the ground like it’s the back of her hand, and she achieved her major at the event before Gauff was even born! The reigning U.S. Open champion further said, “When I walked on the court I put the music really loud in my ears because I didn’t want to look at, or hear, the crowd.” 

Gauff, who once had Williams’ photos on the wall, eventually overpowered her on-court for the first time in her career! Five years have passed since then, and Gauff is now ready to swing her racquet once more on the same ground. Sadly, Williams will be absent from this season’s Wimbledon. We are now waiting to see her great performances on-court once again while she prepares to mute everything and focus solely on defeating her opponent!