"Didn't realise how many people bet on the sport and how nasty the comments can get"
Coco Gauff has given an insight into her process of dealing with the negativity on social media over the course of her short career so far.
Gauff, who recently turned 20, shot to fame in 2022 when she made the final of the French Open. She then won her first Major the following year at the US Open, becoming the youngest player to win the title at Flushing Meadows this century.
But such early success is often followed by the added pressure to keep performing on the biggest stage on a consistent basis. Gauff has done well in that regard so far, making the semifinal of the 2023 China Open and the 2024 Australian Open, and winning the ASB Classic in Auckland.
The American, however, hasn't been safe from online negativity, which is something she says she has now come to terms with. Speaking to the press after her quarterfinal win in Indian Wells, she said:
"Yeah, it definitely was a thing in the past where I would take the comments to heart. I started on tour at 15, and, you know, went from overwhelming positive response to, you know, now there's pressure that you have to win and to where every loss was negative comments."
Gauff then talked about realizing the prevelance of betting in the sport, implying that those who lose their money while betting on players can turn sour towards them. Holger Rune's mother, for one, experienced it firsthand after she recently received death threats on social media, with several fans opining that it was a disgruntled individual who lost their money on a bet.
"Honestly, I didn't know anything about that as a junior, didn't know anything about betters, to be honest, didn't realize how many people bet on the sport and how nasty the comments can get. I was taking them to heart because I didn't know other players were experiencing it as well. I thought it was just a target thing", Coco Gauff added.
"Then I realized almost every player or pretty much every pro player deals with it in some type of way. I took it not personal. It was definitely a growing thing. Yeah, definitely something I will, I guess, urge our players, younger players coming up, just a warning, like, it's not personal. It's just unfortunately some nasty people out there and not to take it to heart. Yeah, it's just like I didn't know that when I started, so something I did have to learn", she said.
"...It's just like you either use it to help you or use it to hurt you or completely ignore it, and ignoring it wasn't an option. You see it, so I just use it to help me. I think you just have to make that choice for yourself and see what works best for you", she concluded.
Gauff dispatched China's Yuan Yue 6-4, 6-3 to qualify for the semifinals of the WTA 1000 in the Californian desert for the first time in her career.
Coco Gauff pleased with her performance in Indian Wells QF win
Coco Gauff was happy with her performance against Yuan Yue in the quarterfinals, where she wrapped up the match in just over 90 minutes after a largely dominant display.
Gauff converted five of her seven break point chances and fired in seven aces while her opponent managed none on her serve. However, the American registered an eyebrow-raising 17 double faults and won just nine of the 32 points on her second serve.
After the match, Gauff acknowledged the weaknesses in her serve but said she was pleased with her overall performance. She said, via the aforementioned source:
"Yeah, I'm really happy to be through today's match. It wasn't the best style of the serving, but overall I think when it comes to the groundstroke game and returns, everything else, honestly, I played well. I just try and take the positives into the next match."
The World No. 3's next opponent is Greece's Maria Sakkari — a player she has already faced seven times on tour. The Greek enjoys a 4-3 head-to-head lead but is winless against the American in her last two matches.
