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Coco Gauff appreciated Jessica Pegula's major praise but refused to declare herself "the future" of American women's tennis. Pegula, 29, is ranked at No 5 in the world and she was the top-ranked American female tennis player for quite some time before world No 3 Gauff took the throne after the US Open.
At the WTA Finals in Cancun, Pegula was asked if she and Gauff were battling for the title of being the next American star. Answering the question, Pegula acknowledged that she is 29 and declared Gauff "the present and the future" of American women's tennis.
Recently, Gauff lifted her first Grand Slam title at the US Open and also became a WTA 1000 winner in Cincinnati. When Gauff was asked about Pegula's major praise, the 19-year-old insisted that there are many other bright talents in American women's tennis that could do great things.
Gauff on Pegula's major praise
“No. I don’t think about that at all. I’m glad to be in the position I’m in. Representing my country is great, but it’s not something I think about all the time. I feel like my whole life I’ve been prepping for this I guess.
I’ve always been the lead for my age group and beyond. So I think over the years, I’ve just gotten used to it. But I don’t take it for granted. I think the best way to approach it is to just not think of it and make it a big deal.
I try my best on court and off court to be the best role model I can be. But I’m not gonna put pressure on myself to do results. I don’t want to put myself on a pedestal. There are still so many American girls and guys that can carry that as well," Gauff said.
By winning this year's US Open, Gauff became the first American woman to win a Grand Slam since Sofia Kenin claimed the 2020 Australian Open title.