Coco Gauff makes plea to folks of 16-year-old tennis sensation after conflict
Coco Gauff has provided her phrases of knowledge to Mirra Andreeva after defeating the 16-year-old on the French Open. The Russian teenager made a press release in her Grand Slam debut, reaching the third spherical as a qualifier. And based mostly on her personal expertise, Gauff has urged Andreeva’s mother and father to make the precise choices for his or her daughter.
Gauff had a uncommon expertise in her newest match on the French Open, as she was the elder participant by three years. The world No 6 was vastly extra skilled than her opponent – teenage qualifier Andreeva.
Just months in the past, the Russian was enjoying within the junior draw of the Australian Open. But she had come by way of qualifying to make her Grand Slam debut and reached the third spherical earlier than falling 6-7(5) 6-1 6-1 to the American.
There had been parallels between the pair – with Gauff herself making her Major debut as a 15-year-old qualifier at Wimbledon again in 2019, upsetting Venus Williams within the first spherical. Now 19, she has develop into a stable prime 10 participant and used her expertise to supply some recommendation to Andreeva and her mother and father.
“I think really your support team,” Gauff stated, when requested what she would inform Andreeva she sustained her outcomes after breaking by way of at a younger age. “I never felt pressured by results.”
The American made waves after her Wimbledon debut – signing a New Balance deal and masking Teen Vogue. But she stated the important thing was not having any stress from her sponsors, who weren’t pushing Gauff to earn sure outcomes at tournaments.
She continued: “I had a great family surrounded by me. Great agency surrounded by me. Great sponsors surrounded by me where I never felt pressure to do anything result-wise. Really, all the pressure was the pressure I was putting on myself, and that’s always going to be the case.”
And the three-time title winner stated Andreeva’s mother and father could be very important in guaranteeing that the precise enterprise choices had been made for the 16-year-old’s profession. “So that would be my advice to her. I would say more so to her parents,” she added.
“Because I feel like at that age, I mean, even now, it’s hard to control who you sign with, what sponsors you have, because you don’t know. You’re just doing it based off what your parents or whoever is telling you.
“So I would say that advice to her parents, because I’m so grateful that my parents always protected me in that sense, so I think I really was just focused on the game and not so much everything else.
“I guess the advice to her, just to do it for you. I mean, don’t do it for anyone else. When you step on the court you want to make sure it’s for you, and I think life and the game will be a lot more enjoyable that way.”