It’s never been easy being Coco Gauff. Since capturing her maiden Slam in 2023, the weight of expectation has chased her like a shadow. Despite her likable nature, the hate has been loud, relentless, and even bizarre. Critics pounced after her back-to-back Middle East losses in March this year, prompting her to confront it head-on: “Everyone makes a bigger deal than what it is,” she said. “I lost 2 matches… I’ll lose more matches back to back. It’s going to happen.” That’s Gauff, owning the setbacks, embracing the grind. Now, as Wimbledon’s green lawns rise again, the American stands tall, revealing how she absorbs the noise and turns it into fire. Curious to know what she said?
In a recent sit-down with the BBC ahead of Wimbledon, American top seed Coco Gauff opened up with striking honesty about what it takes to stay grounded in an era where every move by an athlete is dissected, be it a post, a quote, or a fleeting moment caught on camera. When asked how she manages to remain so unapologetically herself, Gauff didn’t flinch: “Yeah, I think you have to realize you can’t. Someone’s going to find something wrong with everything, so you just kind of have to just stay true to yourself and realize your morals and things like that.”
But Gauff didn’t stop there; she dove deeper into the grey area of scrutiny. At just 21, she’s figured out the thin line between critique and cruelty. “Sometimes I think scrutiny, I would not say helpful, [but] it’s like healthy criticism. It makes you think of things from a different perspective. But sometimes you can’t tell the difference between healthy comments and just plain out hate, and just have to be able to discern that.”
When pressed about growing up in the spotlight, a digital generation forged in the wild flames of social media chaos, Coco Gauff didn’t shy away. “I feel like, because it’s all I know at this point, I mean I came out [turned pro at] 15, and yeah, I feel like it’s just something I grew into and learned. But, you know, I think for me, it’s just staying true to yourself, and you have to really know yourself, I feel like in this world.”
And when it comes to her voice, Gauff stands firm, her feet planted like roots through concrete. “When you know yourself, you’re able to be yourself, and also not worry about what other people are doing. And then when you have opinions on things going on in the world, like I usually do, you just have to be able to stand ten toes down behind them.” Strong. Certain. Ten toes down: Gauff isn’t just surviving the spotlight; she’s owning it.
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The post “It’s All I Know”- Coco Gauff Confronts the Noise of ‘Hate’ as Wimbledon 2025 Kicks Off appeared first on EssentiallySports.
