Coco Gauff made an early statement in her opening-round matchup against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova at the Australian Open – and even admitted she looked good while doing it. The 19-year-old American handily defeated Schmiedlova in straight sets 6-3, 6-0 to advance to the second round of the tournament.
After her match, Gauff explained her mindset against Schmiedlova, especially when the two were tied with the match seemingly capable of going in any direction. “Honestly, when I was nervous at three all, I just told myself, I literally said, ‘I feel good, I look good,'” Gauff said, much to the delight of the fans in attendance. “I feel good, I look good so just have fun.”
With her win, the young American is now 30-4 since August 2023, good for an 88 percent win percentage. In Round 2, Gauff will face fellow American Caroline Dolehide, who defeated Leolia Jeanjean in the first round.
Gauff’s most recent win is just an example of how she is attempting to put her plan to win big at the Australian Open into action. Before Melbourne, the American explained how she was aiming to win more Grand Slam titles and would not be satisfied with just one.
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“Some players’ goal is to win a Grand Slam. Once they reach that, it’s kind of what’s next,” Gauff explained. “For me, I always knew I wanted to win multiple. … It’s kind of easy to forget about it. Not ‘forget.’ I think that’s the wrong word. Maybe just put it in the past and look forward to the future instead of dwelling on the past.”
That said, Gauff didn’t specify how many Grand Slam titles she wanted to win but admitted she wanted to get into double-digits. “Yeah, who knows? That could change depending on how my career goes. Right now, I would say double-digits would be pretty awesome. I don’t know if it will happen, but I think that’s a high goal. I think setting my goals high pushes me beyond what I think I can do.”
Gauff’s victory over Schmiedlova wasn’t the first time the American has made it known that she is on a quest to greatness. Although she wasn’t at her best at the ASB Classic, she was able to clinch a victory against veteran Elina Svitolina, which she alluded to in her postgame interview.
“I don’t know if I was expecting this result, but I’m really happy with how I managed to play today,” she said. “I think today level-wise was definitely not my best match or best level this week, but sometimes when you win when you’re not playing your best, it makes you feel more satisfied.”
With her performance at the ASB Classic and in the opening round of the Australian Open, it appears as if the work she put in with her coach Brad Gilbert is paying off in a big way.
Gilbert explained how he was impressed with how Gauff continually pushed herself to be the best player she could be during the offseason and her drive to be the best player she could be in 2024.
“If you asked [Gauff] at the start of 2023, her expectations were high. She sets a high standard, and she’s driven to get better. She’s never satisfied. She wants to achieve things – that’s all she’s thinking about,” Gilbert told Tennis365.
With how her 2024 season has started, it appears she’s well on her way to achieving the high standards she’s set for herself and nab the goals she is looking to accomplish.
