‘People Took Me for Granted’ - Coco Gauff Details Her Stance on Younger Rivals After Toronto Clash With 19-Year-Old
Tennis star Coco Gauff discusses her mindset when facing younger opponents on the WTA Tour following her victory over 19-year-old Alina Korneeva. Gauff emphasizes that her own early experiences as a young player prevent her from underestimating rising talent.
Why it matters
Offers a professional athlete's perspective on the psychological aspects of competitive sports and the evolution of the WTA circuit.
Coco Gauff, who broke out on the WTA Tour when she was just 15 years old, has revealed how she feels about facing younger opponents after locking horns with 19-year-old qualifier Alina Korneeva in the fourth round at the 2026 Canadian Open.
Drawing on her own experience as a teenager on the professional circuit, the 22-year-old explained why she never allows herself to become complacent when facing younger rivals.
After claiming dominant straight-set wins over Kayla Day and Maria Sakkari, No. 4 seed Gauff produced another clinical display against Alina Korneeva in the fourth round of the WTA 1000 event. The American secured a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Korneeva to book her spot in the quarterfinals, improving her winning record against teenagers to 19-2.
During her post-match press conference, Gauff revealed that she had been underestimated by other players early in her career, which helped her pull off several upsets.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in