Coco Gauff: "I'm going to give it my all in US Open, if things go great that's exciting, if not I go back and work hard and get ready for next one"

Despite clinching the biggest title of her career in Cincinnati, Coco Gauff is keeping expectations low ahead of the US Open.

On Sunday, Gauff won her maiden WTA 1000 title by Karolina Muchova in the Western & Southern Open final. The victory came a day after she beat World No. 1 and reigning New York Major champion Iga Swiatek for the first time in eight attempts.

At a press conference after her win against Muchova, Gauff was asked about how the spotlight was firmly on her heading into the US Open following her Cincinnati Open triumph.

The American teenager was nonchalant in her reply, stating that she was embracing it all while being aware that she forges her own path and doesn't look at how others are doing.

"Just embracing it [being in the spotlight] but also just focusing on your linear path. I think the biggest thing that I've learned is that everybody's path for you is not what's true, it's not what's going to happen. Even the path that you want for yourself may not happen," she expressed.

The 19-year-old further stated that while she was going to give her best at the US Open, she will work harder to come back and make an impression if things don't go her way this year.

"I believe in just, I don't know, you give it your all. That's all you can do. I'm going to give it my all in US Open. If things go great, that's exciting. If not, I go back and work hard and get ready for the next one. That's kind of the mentality you have to have," she said.

Gauff spoke about how she has come to accept that she can have both good and bad days and vowed to fight harder when things don't go her way.

"I can't control how I play. Today I couldn't control my serve. But that's the thing, for me, I try to tell myself literally the first point, I knew it was going to be a tough match, I was just, Just accept the good with the bad," she said.

"I probably double-faulted the most I did in a while. That's accepting the good with the bad, just keep persevering. So that's what I'm going to do in US Open. I think this match really taught me a lot really just for maybe my whole career," she added.

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Coco Gauff heads to US Open with a solid summer hardcourt campaign behind her

Coco Gauff won the 2023 Cincinnati Open title.

Coco Gauff had a forgetful grasscourt season this year. She lost in the second round in Berlin and made the semifinals in Eastbourne before exiting the Wimbledon Championships in the opening round.

Heading into the North American hardcourt swing, pundits and fans were unsure about how Gauff would perform on the back of her grass campaign. The teenager, however, surprised everyone by putting in one strong performance after another.

Gauff clinched the Citi Open title in Washington, made the quarterfinals at the Canadian Open, and now has clinched her maiden WTA 1000 title at the Cincinnati Open. She has won 11 of her 12 matches and added the two biggest titles of her career to her trophy cabinet.

During this run, only two players have been able to take a set off the American - World No. 1 Iga Swiatek and World No. 3 Jessica Pegula. Gauff's doubles partner and top-ranked compatriot Pegula remains the only player to beat her during the summer hardcourt swing.

While Gauff did moderately well at the US Open last year, reaching the quarterfinal before losing to Caroline Garcia in straight sets, she will be hoping to do better at the event this time around. The tournament is scheduled to get underway at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 28.