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Tennis News –
Coco Gauff: "Even when I was 15, I felt so much pressure to make a Grand Slam final. Now that I made it, I feel a relief a little bit" The American talked to the press following her loss to Iga Swiatek in the Roland Garros final "I'm super proud of myself. Feeling a lot of emotions right now. A mix of happiness and sadness. I'm going to take this experience and hopefully learn from it and get better. I wasn't as nervous really entering the match. I mean, obviously when I lost the first couple of games the nerves started to come, but when I lost the first set I really came out in the second and had a new mindset. I think going into the first set strategy-wise, at first I was just really just trying to hit the ball, like not play too passive. I knew that the nerves were going to be there. I think that for me going into the match, my goal was just those first couple games to really hit, and I think I did that for the most part. Going into the second to break, I mean, she gave me some errors in that game, so I don't know if it was entirely me or a little bit of her. But strategy-wise, I mean, going in, honestly it was tough to come up with something with someone hasn't lost in a while. So I think my coach and I, he put a scouting report together against her and I tried my best to follow it. But obviously, you know, you can't do everything that you plan on the court. But I think for the most part I think that Iga was just too good today. I mean, it's one of those matches that, yes, I, in some moments, could have played better. But she really didn't give me anything. Every time I thought I hit a good ball, it wasn't. There is a reason why she's on a winning streak. I'm just glad that I really -- I really tried my best today. Hopefully the happiest moment of this tournament for me will be tomorrow if we can win in doubles. Regardless, I think from the singles, probably getting to the final, just because that's like -- obviously winning is the last hurdle, but reaching the final, I think, is almost as difficult because you are pretty close. I definitely feel like this helped my confidence a lot. I just think even when I was 15, 16, 17, I felt like so much pressure to make a final. Now that I made it, I feel like a relief a little bit". On the influence that athletes and champions can make with their declarations "Definitely, I wouldn't say anything if I didn't think it was going to influence anybody. Also with Iga, I think it's wonderful she brought Ukraine in her speech. I mean, there is so much emotions going on during the awards ceremony, so for her to bring that up, I thought that was really nice and thoughtful of her. I think in general, I think using sports as a platform is important. I feel like, I don't know how many people watch the final or how many people watch my semifinal match, but I'm sure it's in the hundreds of thousands, so that message reached that many people. Between all the retweets and all that, it reaches even more people. I think that it's important that we mention these things. You know, I even saw some messages, Oh, writing something isn't going to end it. I agree. It's not about writing a message just to end it, it's not going to stop on the spot, I agree. But for me, it's about influencing people and influencing the leaders that are in office and leaders around the world maybe to hear that message". On being emotional during her speech "I think for me I just don't know how to handle the emotions right now. So the tears just come (smiling). I try really hard not to, like, cry on the court, and I knew whether I won or lost I was. But really, I feel happy really and sad, so it's like, I don't know how to handle it. I hate myself for crying. I even told the -- I have to get drug tested and I told the lady, like, Do I look like I've been crying for so long? I don't know whether to smile or cry. I think for me it's just how I respond to everything going on. Because I think for right now like emotionally it's just a lot for me to handle, and I'm like trying really hard not to break. My family means a lot to me. My brothers came. I think that's really where most of the tears come from, because I wanted it so bad for myself, and I know they wanted it so bad for me. After the match, my little brother was crying and I felt so bad, because I was trying to just tell him, It's just a tennis match. I'm like, Why are you crying? I'm like, I'm crying too, I know. Everybody's crying. My physio was crying, and I was like, Jeez. I don't think they were crying that I lost really. It wasn't that. I think they just saw me -- you know, I'm pretty happy and outgoing if people know me personally. I think for them to see me so upset, I think that's what hurt them the most. Tomorrow, or even tonight, we're going to play cards again and we are going to laugh and we are going to be fine". Website BTU - Ukrainian Tennis - joins the fundraising to help internally displaced persons in Dnipropetrovsk Region
You can support those, who have been forced to flee their homes due to the Russian military aggression, with a donation via PayPal? Источник: btu.org.ua |
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