Coco Gauff: The Best Is Yet To Come

Only 18 and the hopes are awfully high for Coco Gauff in 2023. The American star comes off a French Open final, a US Open semifinal and she just won her third career title in Auckland. But Gauff is smart. She knows she has time and she feels like she will get there.

“The top 10 right now, most of them are in their 20s, like 22 to 26,” Gauff said during Media Day on Saturday. “As much as I would like to think this might be the best I’ll be, I don’t believe it ’cause I feel like most of the tennis players, at least on tour now, are peaking in their career around 22 to 26.

“I was thinking about that the other day and that is what I kind of feel like I put a little bit less pressure on myself. I’ve noticed from 15 when I started to now, I realize physically I’m at a much different level than I was at 15. I think I’m just continuing to get stronger.

“There’s a joke that my mom has. She is like, You don’t have that grown woman strength yet. You’ll know when you get it,” she said.

“I know the best is yet to come for me. I think that’s just looking at other players, when they’re winning most of their titles. So I do think I have a way to go.”

Gauff said she had a very productive off season and work specifically on her transition game.

“I know a lot of people mention how many times I went to the net in Auckland. That was a lot we were working on especially for me who likes to play doubles. I was trying to transfer that volleying more into singles, especially with the way I move and hit.

“Then serving, working on serve placement. Also the forehand, working on that and returns.”

Gauff turns 19 in a few months, but going out with some of her countryman like Ben Shelton and Chris Eubanks, who are both older but new to the tour, she feels different.

“I definitely feel like more experienced and like I belong. I don’t feel like the new kid, but I don’t think I feel like quite a vet, but I don’t feel like I’m the new kid. I feel like I’m in the middle of the pack.”

Gauff begins play on Monday hoping to avoid a second straight first round defeat in Melbourne.