"I know how to keep my peace but also embrace all of this" - Coco Gauff says she is 'ready' to be in the limelight after US Open triumph

Coco Gauff spoke about how she will be approaching the increased public attention following her US Open triumph.

Gauff clinched her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open by defeating Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in Saturday’s final. The American’s victory was made even more special by the home crowd who cheered her on throughout her campaign in New York.

Several celebrities flocked the Arthur Ashe Stadium to watch Coco Gauff in action during the fortnight, and the prodigy became an overnight sensation following her heroics in the summit clash.

In her final press conference, Coco Gauff acknowledged her expected rise in prominence due to her US Open win. She, however, said that she has become accustomed to the limelight over the years.

“I feel like this is a big achievement, but honestly, I feel like I've been so used to this since I was basically 15 years old in high school, doing online school, just used to it,” she said.

Coco Gauff turned pro in 2018 at the tender age of 14. She first made the headlines the following year, when she cruised through the qualifiers of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships and then convincingly defeated her idol and five-time champion Venus Williams in the opening round of the tournament.

The American’s impressive run came to a halt only when she faced the eventual champion Simona Halep in the fourth round. Gauff has been in the public eye ever since.

She said that she now feels prepared for what is to come, and is ready to embrace it.

“I mean, I'm sure it might be a much bigger scale now because of this achievement, but I'm ready. I mean, I embrace it. I know how to keep my peace but also embrace all of this around me,” she added.

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"I'm really happy of how I've been able to manage it all" – Coco Gauff on dealing with people's expectation

Coco Gauff at the 2023 US Open

While Coco Gauff is now more experienced in handling public scrutiny, that wasn’t the case a few years ago. As per her admission, fans and critics drawing comparisons between her and Serena Williams affected her during her early days.

“It's been difficult. I mean, it's been a long journey to this point. I wasn't a fully developed player, and I still think I have a lot of development to go at that moment. I think people were putting a lot of pressure on me to win. I felt that at 15 I had to win a slam at 15,” she said.

“I remember I lost when I was 17 and there was a stat, they were like, ‘Oh, she's not going to win a slam before Serena's age.’ It was stuff like that that I felt like I had a time limit on when I should win one, and if I won one after a certain age it wouldn't be an achievement,” Gauff added.

The teenager said that she is happy with how she has been able to manage difficult situations.

“It's just crazy the amount of things that I have heard or seen about myself, but I'm really happy of how I've been able to manage it all,” she said.

Despite the scrutiny and the naysayers, Coco Gauff has come into her own this season. She kicked off her 2023 campaign at the WTA 250 ASB Classic, where she lifted her third career title.

Following a brief slump in form, the American regained her footing in the North American hardcourt swing, where she won her maiden WTA 500 and WTA 1000 titles at the Citi Open and the Cincinnati Open, respectively, before being crowned a Grand Slam champion at the US Open.

“I think the pressure has been taken off a little bit, and I still am hungry for more. But yeah, I'm just going to enjoy this and try not to look into the future,” Gauff said in her press conference.

Coco Gauff is now set to rise to a new career-high ranking of World No. 3 come Monday, September 11.