Coco Gauff may still be very young and far from retirement but is already thinking about preserving her body because she wants to keep loving her profession and be healthy enough to one day finish her career the way she wants.
This Thursday, the 2023 US Open champion turned 21. At this age, the majority of players are trying to establish themselves on the Tour or make a breakthrough. But with the American, it is a completely different story since she is a veteran and has been around since her stunning 2019 Wimbledon run, when she as a 15-year-old qualifier upset Venus Williams and made the round-of-16.
Since then, Gauff has experienced the highs and lows of the game several times. Before turning 21, she made two Grand Slam finals and won one Major – became a WTA 1000 and a WTA Finals champion – and was ranked as high as No. 2 in the world.
One of the reasons behind the American’s success is avoiding serious injuries so far in her career but also keeping the fire inside her burning. And she hopes it will stay like that for many more years.
Gauff: When it’s time to retire, I want to do it on my terms
“I guess the most important thing is just to not be physically burnt out, just because at the end of the day, when it’s time to retire, I want to make sure it’s on my terms and not because of an injury or anything like that. So I think it’s just more so protecting my love for the sport and hopefully that it treats me with that love, too,” the 21-year-old told the Roland Garros website.
It is not a secret that players have often voiced concerns about the length of the WTA calendar and how physically and mentally demanding it can be.
When it comes to Gauff, she is no stranger to playing a lot – but as mentioned above – her outstanding fitness allows her to do that. But as she gets older, it won’t be surprising if she decides to reduce her schedule a bit.
Tennis World USA