Coco Gauff will begin her French Open title defence against Taylor Townsend. Gauff will be trying to manage her on-court behaviour during the match.
Gauff’s Recent On-Court Struggles
Two Sundays ago, during the Italian Open final against Elina Svitolina, Gauff hit herself on the head with her racket. She said it didn’t hurt because she “had big braids.”
After her quarterfinal loss to Svitolina at the Australian Open, Gauff smashed her racket. This happened underneath the stadium, and she thought she had found a private spot. Her annoyance about that has led tennis tournaments to consider their strategy for the behind-the-scenes video that serves as catnip for fans.
Recently, it has grown more challenging for Gauff to manage her emotions. She has referenced off-court difficulties that have made staying in the moment on court harder.
These difficulties have arrived as she has tried to maintain her status among the sport’s elite, while remaking her serve and forehand. That process has nagged at her confidence and her resolve.
Emotional Management Strategies
Gauff has rarely displayed anything close to a meltdown for most of her career. She has rarely appeared to wrestle with the emotional demons that so often undo tennis players.
She has an uncanny ability to ride the wave, fist-pumping and screaming with elation on her biggest and best shots to raise her level, without succumbing to the spirals that can accompany and usually accelerate dips in performance.
To manage her emotions, Gauff said she has been going to a therapist for a long time and also journaling. She knows how wearing negativity can be, especially in a sport where even the best players lose nearly half the points.
She would prefer it not to be that way.
Gauff’s Recent Form
Since January, Gauff has made two WTA 1000 finals, losing both in three hard-fought sets. Through it all, there has been plenty of harrumphing and thigh-slapping, a good bit of griping at her box.
She will miss shots and raise her hand close to her face, shaking her head and talking to herself in that “how-can-you-make-that-mistake” fashion all tennis players know.
- Gauff is a perfectionist who is never truly satisfied unless she is lifting trophies.
- According to Sportico, Gauff was the highest-paid female athlete last year, earning $31 million in prize money and sponsorships.
- Gauff is a two-time Grand Slam champion and at 22, the biggest star in the women’s game.
Gauff arrives at Roland Garros as defending champion.