Expect the unexpected as Coco Gauff gets ready to conquer Wimbledon
Gauff was a 15-year-old school student when she caused one of the biggest shocks in Wimbledon history by defeating her childhood idol Venus Williams in the first round of the 2019 tournament, earning overnight fame before marching on to the fourth round.
Five years later, the fan favourite has already made good on the enormous expectations heaped on her shoulders, winning her first singles major at home last year in New York and claiming the French Open doubles title earlier this month.
However, the grass-court major where she made her name now remains the only Grand Slam where she has failed to reach at least the last four in singles.
A semi-finalist at both the Australian and French Opens this year, she will be hoping that she can improve on multiple fourth-round Wimbledon exits and make it all the way to the final when she returns to All England Club next week ranked a career high second in the world.
"It's just one of those things that when you least expect it to happen, it happens. Same thing, US Open, when I won it, I didn't expect to win," Gauff told reporters at Roland Garros.
"It's funny how life teaches you those lessons that sometimes it's better just to be relaxed and the good things will happen."
She lost a close semi-final against compatriot Jessica Pegula last week at Berlin 7-5, 7-6(2), her lone grass-court tune-up event before Wimbledon, after revamping her serve during the clay-court swing.
The work yielded results, as she reached her second major semi-final of the year at the French Open following her last four showing at Melbourne Park. But she was once again unable to overcome her main antagonist, world number one Iga Swiatek.
The Pole improved her lifetime record over Gauff to 11-1 after she also beat the American in Rome, en route to the title at both tournaments.
"I have to know that I'm developing and I'm changing the way that I played. When I started on tour, I was a lot weaker than everybody, younger. I had to play a certain way to win," Gauff told reporters after the 6-2, 6-4 French Open defeat.
"Now if I want to transcend to the next level, there's a different way to play... if I want to win more and stay at the top, then I have to be aggressive in certain moments and especially against her."
