Coco Gauff is headed back to her first French Open final since 2022, and her first major final since she won the U.S. Open in '23.
There will be a lot of pressure on the 21-year-old to capture another major title, especially over her opponent, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. So, how does Gauff handle all that pressure of competing in a major final? She reminds herself that losing the final isn't the end of the world, or her career.
Gauff offered a very profound perspective on Thursday when discussing any potential nerves heading into Saturday's final.
“I think just realizing how minuscule [the final] is," Gauff said in response to not letting her nerves get out of control. "Everyone is dealing with way bigger things in life than losing a final. Also realizing how many players wanted to be in this position. I’m sure there are hundreds of players that would kill to win or lose a final. So just knowing that makes me realize how lucky and privileged I am to be in this position.
"At first I thought it’d be the end of the world if I lost. And you know, the sun still rose the next day. So knowing regardless of the result, the sun will still rise. Especially being in a city like Paris, I was walking around the next day and no one knew that I lost. No one cared. Some people know who I am but not everyone. Just realizing how big the moment seems in our lives is not as big in the grand scheme of things.”
Such a wise response for such a young player.
Gauff obviously will want to win on Saturday during the final on Court Philippe-Chatrier, but as she states, it won't be the end of the world for her if she takes home the second-place trophy. Her career is far from over, and she will definitely have more opportunities to win majors.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Coco Gauff Offered Profound Perspective When Discussing Nerves for French Open Final.