Coco Gauff isn't overly concerned with her Cincinnati exit or recent form as the world No. 11 says the tennis season is simply too long and it's not realistic to expect a player to perform their best throughout the entire year.
After not dropping a set en route to the Cincinnati quarterfinal, the home star also made a lightning start against Jasmine Paolini and took the opener with a 6-2 scoreline. But then, the two-time Grand Slam champion's serving woes reappeared and she ended up losing in three sets after hitting 16 double faults.
During the clay season, Gauff was outstanding - she finished as back-to-back runner-up in Madrid and Rome before lifting her maiden French Open title. But since conquering Roland Garros, the American tennis star is only 4-4 and has had a couple of early exits and surprise defeats.
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Gauff explains why ups and downs are normal in tennis
Sometimes, tennis fans want us to win like every week. But were playing 11 months. Its not that easy, so it's completely normal for a player to have a good three, four weeks, then maybe a not-so-good three, four weeks just because the way our season is built," the 21-year-old explained.
Gauff would have surely loved to have done better leading up to the US Open. However, she has still gotten six matches under her belt and there is no doubt that nobody from the competition will take her for granted at Flushing Meadows.
In 2023, Gauff was 19 when she became a Grand Slam champion at the US Open. Last year, her title defense came to an end in the round-of-16 following a loss to Emma Navarro.
