“Empathize with her”: Sloane Stephens’ coach talks about Coco Gauff’s handling...

16-year-old Coco Gauff amazed everyone at Wimbledon 2019 and has been in excellent contact ever since. She reached the fourth round of the 2020 Australian Open and lost to Sofia Kenin, who eventually won the Grand Slam. She was also the semi-finalist at the Top Seed Open 2020. Lately Gauff has done well at the Ostrava Open 2020, reaching the round of 16. However, Aryna Sabalenka made a phenomenal comeback, beating them 1: 6, 7: 5, 7-6 in a tight context.

Trainers and experts have praised Gauff. She has the game but has to be a little more consistent. Renowned coach Kamau Murray recently spoke about the young prodigy. The 40-year-old, the head coach of Sloane Stephens, spoke about Gauff’s overall progress and her future challenges in dealing with pressure and playing without fans.

“I’m joking with Sloane. When she won the 2017 US Open, Coco was playing juniors. When she reached the final of the 2018 French Open, Coco won the Junior French Open. And now it is a staple on the tour for reaching all of the main attractions. It’s really amazing how quickly she rose to the top. But it’s not surprising. You see a lot of young players taking the plunge and challenging the older players. “ said Murray.

Gauff really impressed a lot of fans and critics. It is their ability to fight that makes them unique and dominant during the games.

Read more: Coco Gauff reveals what went wrong in her match against Aryna Sabalenka at the 2020 Ostrava Open

“I can empathize with her” – Kamau Murray on Coco Gauff

Murray also revealed that he knows her and her family personally. He believes that after all that they’ve done, she rightly deserves to be where she is right now.

“I know her and her father personally. We hang out at the bar. We’re going to dinner. So it was exciting to see them play, how they go through this for the first time … I think it’s great for the game. ” added the trainer.

Murray talks about her adaptations and challenges, and believes that playing without an audience could be a huge challenge for the 16-year-old.

“I think 2020 was an instant adjustment for her. Last year you had “Cocomania”, you had the crowd, 19,000 people and Coco playing against the opponent. Now she has to play all by herself and get used to the calm and serenity. This is a new environment for you and all other players. She went there with her army of fans. Now it’s just her … I can empathize with her, I’m 16 and I’ve gotten into it. “ concluded the 40-year-old.

Playing with or without fans can make a huge difference. Fans expect a lot from Coco. Some even see her as the next Serena Williams, but she has to bring a lot more consistency into her game to get close to her idol.