"That shows she's human above all," Pegula comes to Gauff's defense after her tears against Vekic
Winner of the US Open in 2023 and also crowned champion at Roland-Garros this year, Coco Gauff has been one of the top players on the tour for several years now. At 21 years old, the American has already won several prestigious titles but can sometimes externalize all her emotions.
During her second-round match against Donna Vekic (7-6, 6-2) in New York in recent days, Gauff was seen crying during the match after being broken, and also on the court moments after her victory.
Her compatriot and friend Jessica Pegula discussed this moment in a press conference after her win against Victoria Azarenka this Friday on the courts of Flushing Meadows.
"Being able to cry like that in front of a full stadium and still win the match takes courage. Arthur Ashe Court is impressive. You feel like you're failing, then you cry, and in the end, you still win. That's even harder to do than showing no emotion at all.
It shows she's human above all, and sometimes fans don't understand that. Tennis isn't a matter of life or death, but when you've worked your whole life for it and it's not working, it's really tough.
It's not easy to have to go on court under pressure, to change things with your serve like Coco (Gauff) did, and to feel like you're failing in front of a whole stadium.
I don't think people outside of tennis really understand how difficult it is. That's why I've always loved our sport. We're willing to go on court and fail in front of everyone.
There's only us, no teammates, no coach to blame—we're on our own. That makes our sport really tough. I think it was good that she let herself go," Pegula elaborated in recent hours for Tennis Up To Date.
