World No. 4 Coco Gauff reflected on her 5/7, 6/0, 6/4 victory over Solana Sierra in the third round of the Rome tournament, reports Todayinfo. The American was trailing 0/3 with two breaks in the decisive set.
"It was a tough day for me. There are matches when you just feel terrible, but you still have to go out on court. Today was exactly one of those days. I'm glad I was able to get through. Initially, I didn't want to play at all. And when I went out on court, motivation appeared, but along with it came strong irritation," Gauff said.<
She clarified that this was more related to her psychological state than physical condition. According to Gauff, she currently has personal issues off the court that she is trying to navigate.
"But in the end, you still remember how much you love this sport. Today, I regret that I couldn't enjoy the fight itself," the athlete added.<
Gauff confessed that this state has been ongoing for several months, with good days and bad days. Nevertheless, she finds the strength to step onto the court.
"I try to think about the people who come to support me and my team, who work very hard. That's why I go out and fight. Yes, perhaps it wasn't my best match, but today I had exactly as much strength and emotion as I had. And that's something to be proud of too. The main thing is to learn how to better deal with such days in the future," Gauff concluded in the mixed zone.
