Quote of the Day: After Wimbledon exit, Coco Gauff says “my mind is on the Olympics”
As the American's focus shifts to doubles, Gauff is determined to make the most of her time on court with Jessica Pegula.
It’s time for a mental reset, says Coco Gauff, who crashed out of Wimbledon in the fourth round on Sunday and has already turned her focus to the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
Seeded No. 2, Gauff was among the pre-tournament favorites, but ran up against a determined Emma Navarro and became the latest to fall victim to the upset bug—one day after world No. 1 Iga Swiatek also bowed out.
Read More: Emma Navarro shocks Coco Gauff in Wimbledon stunner, reaches first Slam quarterfinal
No. 19 seed Navarro, who also ousted Naomi Osaka in the second round, has only dropped one set all fortnight long and continued to steamroll against Gauff as she recorded a 6-4, 6-3 victory on Centre Court.
After the match, Gauff dodged the urge to catastrophize her defeat to a lower-seeded player—especially the fast-rising Navarro—and chided tennis fans for being “a little bit disrespectful” in not appreciating the depth of competition on the WTA Tour.
“I've seen and played so many Slams where anybody can win. The seed is just a number,” Gauff said in a post-match press conference.
“That doesn't mean you can't lose. We've seen a lot of seeds drop out. We've seen defending champions drop out…
“Especially on my side of the draw, even though the players may not be as known, but they're so talented. I think that's something that people, fans of the game, are a little bit disrespectful (about) when it comes to other players on tour.”
It’s not quite on to the next tournament for Gauff though, or at least not yet. The American is still alive in doubles, partnered with Jessica Pegula—and she’s determined to make the most of their time on court.
Q: You have doubles tomorrow. What is your process in terms of looking back on what didn't go as well as you wanted it to go, getting over (a loss in singles)?
COCO GAUFF: I mean, honestly, my mind is on the Olympics. Especially in doubles, I would say I'm looking at the Olympics. I'm looking at us as a team and how can we improve to be a good contender for a medal in the Olympics because we haven't played that much this year.
I'm still going to look at this match. I have to look at it if I want to improve not only for the Olympics but also for the rest of the season and seasons beyond. I think I'll maybe not watch it until after the tournament's over just for the mind.
But I definitely would say that I have to learn from today because it's not going to be the first or last time that a player plays a great match against me, and I have to figure out when those moments happen how to raise my level.
The No. 11 seeds Gauff and Pegula will be back in action on Monday, scheduled to face No. 5 seeds Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani of Italy on Court 3.