NEW DELHI: World number three Coco Gauff is banking on meditation and the enthusiastic support of her young boys to succeed at the French Open.
She defeated Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska in straight sets to reach the last 16 at Roland Garros for the fourth consecutive year.
Despite a difficult match marked by errors, the US Open champion managed to beat his opponent 6-2, 6-4 on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The 20-year-old American will next face unseeded Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Facing stiff competition and aiming to face Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals, Gauff is finding solace in meditation techniques which she believes will give her valuable perspective in her title ambitions.
“Sometimes I like to literally just lie down on the ground for a minute or two, or 10 or 15 minutes, and just meditate,” she said.
“I think it helps to keep your feet on the ground because the pressure can be so high in these tournaments. Sometimes you just have to lie down on the ground and think there are billions of people on this planet and billions of them don’t know you.”
“So the match isn’t as big as it sometimes feels.”
Gauff has been a consistent crowd-pleaser since her spectacular Wimbledon debut in 2019 as a qualifier at age 15, stunning former champion Venus Williams on her way to the fourth round.
In Paris, she attracts attention, especially from groups of boys who eagerly watch her matches at Court Suzanne Lenglen.
“There was a group of boys under 12 who were cheering really loud, and I really enjoyed that,” Gauff said, “and they were respectful of my opponent, and I like that.”
(Photo provided by AFP)
She defeated Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska in straight sets to reach the last 16 at Roland Garros for the fourth consecutive year.
Despite a difficult match marked by errors, the US Open champion managed to beat his opponent 6-2, 6-4 on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The 20-year-old American will next face unseeded Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Facing stiff competition and aiming to face Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals, Gauff is finding solace in meditation techniques which she believes will give her valuable perspective in her title ambitions.
“Sometimes I like to literally just lie down on the ground for a minute or two, or 10 or 15 minutes, and just meditate,” she said.
“I think it helps to keep your feet on the ground because the pressure can be so high in these tournaments. Sometimes you just have to lie down on the ground and think there are billions of people on this planet and billions of them don’t know you.”
“So the match isn’t as big as it sometimes feels.”
Gauff has been a consistent crowd-pleaser since her spectacular Wimbledon debut in 2019 as a qualifier at age 15, stunning former champion Venus Williams on her way to the fourth round.
In Paris, she attracts attention, especially from groups of boys who eagerly watch her matches at Court Suzanne Lenglen.
“There was a group of boys under 12 who were cheering really loud, and I really enjoyed that,” Gauff said, “and they were respectful of my opponent, and I like that.”
(Photo provided by AFP)
