Coco Gauff sees Wimbledon Defeat as Part of the Journey
Coco Gauff may have fallen just short of reaching her first Wimbledon final, but the American believes the painful defeat will only make her stronger.
Gauff lost a dramatic semifinal to Karolina Muchova 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(10) after holding a match point in the deciding-set tiebreak.
Rather than dwelling on the missed opportunity, the 22-year-old chose to put the defeat into perspective by looking at some of tennis’ greatest champions.
“I look at… Roger lost match points here. Jannik obviously at Roland Garros. So every great champion has this happen in their career. Maybe this is something I need to be on their level.”
Despite the disappointment, Gauff believes there were plenty of positives to take from her Wimbledon campaign.
“You know, you hate me or love me, you can’t deny the progress that’s been made this tournament. There’s a lot of positives that get me excited for the future.”
The American also revealed she had already received criticism online following the loss but insisted it would not affect her.
“I already got some hate comments and stuff, but it’s OK. It just makes you stronger. Bettors who are mad, the usual.”
She even joked about responding the next time she wins.
“Whatever, I’ll come on the winning end next time. I’ll be sure to tag ’em.”
Gauff also had nothing but praise for Muchova, describing the Czech star as one of the toughest opponents on tour.
“She’s someone that deserves more success with how talented she is. She’s not an opponent you want to face at any point in the tournament.”
Although the defeat ended her Wimbledon run, Gauff walked away encouraged by her progress and confident there are bigger moments still to come.
