"I missed my All-Star game because I had to play junior US Open, I made the final": Coco Gauff on setting aside basketball & track pursuits for tennis

Coco Gauff recently talked about setting aside her basketball and track pursuits to prioritize tennis.

Gauff defeated Poland's Magdalena Frech 6-1, 6-2 in little over an hour to secure her spot in her first-ever Australian Open quarterfinals. The World No. 3 also became the youngest female player to reach the quarterfinals of the Melbourne Slam since Agnieszka Radwanska accomplished the feat back in 2008.

During the post-match press conference, Gauff talked about her early involvement in various sports, such as basketball and track, before ultimately focusing on tennis. The 19-year-old stated that she would have been a good 400m runner, had she pursued that path. However, her current engagements with the track are solely limited to cardio training sessions.

"I did do track and basketball. I really love track. I think I would have been a good 400 runner," Coco Gauff said. "I've actually never really timed myself like just a straight, like, sprint. The only times I'm on the track is for cardio, and we're doing a lot of them."

The American also revealed her off-season training regimen, where she tries to incorporate cross-training, swimming, running, and even boxing.

"In this off-season we always try to include cross-training. I did some swimming, some running. I wanted to do boxing, but the timing would never work out with the instructor. I did do boxing before, last preseason. Not the last one but the one before," she said.

Coco Gauff stated that her parents, Candi and Corey Gauff, never limited her to a single sport. When she decided to pursue tennis, her parents also encouraged her to explore boxing and track.

The teenager revealed that she had to forgo participating in an All-Star game on one occasion due to the 2017 junior US Open. Despite reaching the final at the event, Gauff lost to Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-2 in the championship match.

"I think it just keeps it fun. My parents always never wanted me to specify in a sport, which is why when I was 13, I knew that I was going to play tennis, but they still put me in basketball and track. I ended up missing my All-Star game because I had to play the junior US Open. I made the finals of that tournament," Gauff added.

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Coco Gauff on her routine she follows after a match: "Go to the movies, read a book or something"

Coco Gauff speaking to the press

During the press conference, Coco Gauff discussed her post-match routine. She shared that, on occasions, she enjoys spending some time hitting the tennis ball or engaging in a mini cardio session after a match.

"Sometimes after my match I'll hit again and go, like, to the indoors or something and hit. I didn't today. I did, like, a mini cardio session after my match. That's what I've been doing since I have been finishing earlier," Gauff said.

Gauff has also disclosed that she occasionally indulges in reading a book or watching a movie after a match.

"Yeah, I've definitely been doing more off-match stuff than I normally do just to still say sharp. I have been practicing afterward. After that, go to the movies. I don't know. Read a book or something," she added.

Coco Gauff will face Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open.