Coco Gauff Is Not the Next Serena Williams: She Will Forge Her Own Legacy
Photo via https://twitter.com/ChinaOpen/status/1709847654409425139/photo/1
Sports journalism can be lazy at times. All too often, a narrative is forced into a report in a clumsy attempt to compare one thing to another. Such is the case with newly minted US Open Champion Coco Gauff. She is talented, American, Floridian, and Black, so there have inevitably been headlines in sports pages that declare we have uncovered the next Serena Williams.
They are wide off the mark and superficial in the sporting sense. They commonly crop up in tennis. Carlos Alcaraz, for instance, is Spanish, so therefore he must be the next Rafael Nadal, despite the pair having different styles of play. Nadal is left-handed and has an esoteric style of play, particularly his trademarked aggression from the baseline. Alcaraz has a more conventional style, although he does it remarkably well.
Gauff understands Williams comparisons
With Williams and Gauff, there are similar strains to make the comparison. They both share an incredible backhand, and Gauff’s ability to match power with precision is naturally going to lead to comparisons. But there are many more differences between the two on and off the court. Gauff, who seems to have a wise head on young shoulders, acknowledges this. In a recent interview, she talked of forging her own path.
Gauff, however, is well aware of the sporting narrative that has developed around her that’s transformed into following in the footsteps of an all-time great. She is clear that she understands the pressure that can be created in such a media environment. That interview, with People Magazine, was conducted just before the 2023 US Open, so, if anything, the pressure and the straining of the media to make comparisons with Williams have increased since then.
Gauff will deal with being expected to win
As Gauff looks toward 2024 and beyond, she will have to deal with the fact she will be considered among the favorites in the tennis betting for the Majors. The spotlight will be on her pre-tournament, and any poor performance will be amplified as failure. She can look to Emma Raducanu to see how intense the media speculation can be when trying to create a new heroine, and how merciless the sports press can be when expectations are not met.
This is not a Gauff problem, of course. That’s, unfortunately, the way the media works. But the good news is that she seems to fully understand how the mechanics work. Her candor in interviews is refreshing, and she has an awareness of her role as a superstar athlete and how that feeds into the system. To hear Gauff speak, one would think she is a veteran of the WTA Tour, not a teenager at the start of her career. She is well-equipped to deal with fame and the pressure that comes with it.
To hear Gauff speak, the world won’t come to an end if she goes through 2024 without adding to her Majors’ tally. She understands that she is on the pathway to greatness, but that she is not there yet. Improvements are needed in her game, and it is normal that the pressure will get to her. But she has anticipated the news cycles. She is ready to forge her own path and become the first Coco Gauff.
