Coco Gauff was just 15 when she became a tennis sensation at Wimbledon in 2019 but she had been suffering deep depression in the year leading up to the big breakout and was considering walking away from tennis.
Gauff, who is now 16, opened up about the challenging time in a self-written article for Behind The Racket.
"For about a year I was really depressed," she admitted. Gauff explained that she felt pressure to excel and it made her start questioning whether or not it was a life she wanted.
"I always had the results so that wasn’t the issue, I just found myself not enjoying what I loved. I realized I needed to start playing for myself and not other people," she said.
It was one of her toughest years, Gauff admitted.
"When you are in that dark mindset you don’t look on the bright side of things too often, which is the hardest part," she said. "I don’t think it had much to do with tennis, maybe just about juggling it all. I knew that I wanted to play tennis but didn’t know how I wanted to go about it."
It was during this time that Gauff considered taking a year off from tennis. She realized it was not the right choice but at the time she was giving it serious consideration.
"I was just lost. I was confused and overthinking if this was what I wanted or what others did. It took many moments sitting, thinking and crying," she said.
It was a challenging experience for someone so young to shoot to stardom so fast but it built an inner strength that has carried Gauff through trying times in life and on the court.
"I came out of it stronger and knowing myself better than ever," she said. "Everyone asks me how I stay calm on court and I think it’s because I accepted who I am after overcoming low points in my life. Now, when I’m on court, I am just really thankful to be out there."
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