By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday October 7, 2024
Coco Gauff reminded all doubters of her great potential last week in Beijing, winning her eighth career title and second at the WTA 1000 level, defeating Karolina Muchova in straight sets.
For Gauff, competitive juices just seem to carry him through these types of matches. She improved to 8-1 lifetime in finals and 7-0 in hard-court finals with the win. The only player to beat Gauff in a WTA final? Iga Swiatek, at Roland-Garros (no shame in that), in 2022.
She’s not entirely sure how to explain this kind of success.
“Honestly, when you get this far, you’re just happy to be in the finals,” she said with a smile.
Being calm means the world, says the 20-year-old.
“I think it’s just relaxing. My first final, which was when I was 15, is kind of like the worst because you say, ‘I’ll never get this chance again’, which is not entirely true. That’s how I felt in my first Grand Slam final,” she said, adding: “But I feel very good. It is a personal achievement. I think that every day I am realizing more and more that tennis is not a measure of my worth as a person. I think the more you understand that, the more relaxed these tours become.
thank you all for all the love and support these two weeks here in Beijing❤️. Very grateful for all! See you next year! pic.twitter.com/uZbGj4pVtr
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) October 6, 2024
“I will still experience pressure. It’s easier said than done. I’m sure in another tournament, I’ll be like I felt so much pressure today. But it’s up and down.”
Being mentioned with Serena is priceless
More important than the hard-court streak in the finals is the fact that Gauff became the first American to win in Beijing since icon Serena Williams won the title in 2013. That’s huge for a woman who grew up idolizing Serena .
“Honestly, it means a lot to see that the last American woman to win this was Serena Williams,” she said. “Honestly, every time my name is mentioned in any of her sentences, it’s like a huge honor to do something that no one has done before. It’s pretty cool. I didn’t know it was online.”
Muchova is one of the most talented players on the WTA Tour
Although she improved to 3-0 against Muchova – a seemingly dominant head-to-head, Gauff was quick to admit that facing the wily Czech could be a nightmare.
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“I don’t think today was like her best tennis ever. So maybe I got lucky with that,” she said. “She’s a great player. I think she’s one of the most talented players we have on the tour. It’s good to see her healthy. I think everyone agrees , if you’re a tennis fan, I don’t see how you can dislike her because she’s a good person. Her game alone is so much fun to watch.
“Honestly, I don’t like playing with him. She said that in the speech, but I really didn’t. You don’t know what she will do. Sometimes I hold my breath when I play it.”
