The 18-year-old American Cori “Coco” Gauff has gone on to shock the world by defeating Sloane Stephens who’s also a fellow American. In fact, she’s reached her first Grand Slam tournament by defeating a former US Open champion. The magnitude of this accomplishment at Coco Gauff’s age is incomparable. During the match, Coco Gauff seemed to get off to a hot start, ultimately building an early lead. However, as the match continued, she began to slow down a bit, but Stephens continued to make careless mistakes throughout the match. Oddly enough, many didn’t recognize her due to silly careless mistakes; however, this led Gauff to counter and capitalize and come out victorious.
Coco Gauff celebrated her high school graduation in Paris 10 days ago and followed that up by defeating Sloane Stephens to advance to her first Grand Slam semifinal. Just incredible 👏🏾 pic.twitter.com/GzLv7XOgIe
— Sean Hurd (@seanahurd) May 31, 2022
Having Confidence in Yourself
Similarly, to Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams, she’s representing an entire dynamic of young African-American girls around the world. While many may argue that burden or pressure should never be put on one individual, the reality is it’s the truth. Gauff defeated a bonafide veteran player like Stephens. Until this point, Stephens (29), a former No. 3, won at Flushing Meadows in 2017 and was the runner-up at Roland Garros the following year, per ESPN.
On the other hand, Gauff has yet to drop a set on her run to the semifinals. She spoke about her mindset going into the competition. Naturally, Gauff seems to be maturing with age as she continues to put on amazing performances. She shows up in big-time moments for the world to see.
“I have confidence in myself. Even last year, I was too concerned with meeting other people’s expectations,” Gauff expressed. “Regardless of how my career unfolds, I believe I am a kind-hearted individual, and I think that’s an important message for young people. … Remember: When you love yourself, others’ opinions become insignificant.”
Corri “Coco” Gauff Takes on Another Uphill Battle
Many can expect Coco Gauff to take on another first-time semifinalist Martina Trevisan. She beat Leylah Fernandez to advance. However, Fernandez’s injury has raised many to be skeptical, reported ESPN.
“I was really tired and needed to use the bathroom. I found a quiet room away from the court and people, just for a moment to myself. It allowed me to gather myself. I splashed some water on my face,” Trevisan explained.
