COCO GAUFF ADMISSION SPEAKS VOLUMES AHEAD OF US OPEN REMATCH WITH BILLIONAIRE

Coco Gauff has admittted she "mentally just literally collapsed on the court" during her last encounter against Emma Navarro, as the US Open gears up for a thrilling fourth-round clash between the two Americans.

Navarro, the daughter of billionaire banker Ben, previously caused a huge upset by ousting Gauff in straight sets at Wimbledon, a win that has propelled her through a remarkable rise in the world rankings. Meanwhile, Gauff is returning to Flushing Meadows on a quest to defend her Grand Slam title from the previous year.

The anticipated match-up, set for Sunday, will be their first since Navarro's shock Wimbledon victory. Despite this, they joined forces as Olympic teammates in Paris, and Gauff acknowledged she expects another challenging competition ahead.

However, she reflected on her Wimbledon defeat and suggested much of it was down to her own mental struggles as she aims to make amends on Sunday.

Gauff conceded: "With Emma, I feel like that match at Wimbledon I think I mentally just literally collapsed on the court. I was very frustrated, and she played well. That was, I think to me, the best tennis she played, like that tournament.

"Obviously, I didn't see her first round, but I watched a little bit her second and third. I think that was like the best she played that week.

"Yeah, so I think going into this match, I have to expect her to play her best tennis, and I just need to know that I need to bring it and mentally be there from the beginning to the end because she's going to be a tough opponent."

Gauff has staged another remarkable comeback, reminiscent of her previous year's triumphs, to defeat Elina Svitolina in the third round. The young tennis sensation acknowledged the sense of deja vu she experienced during the match, which boosted her confidence.

"It was in my mind today," Gauff admitted. "It gave me a lot of confidence just because it felt like deja vu a little bit. I think I won the first set against Caroline Wozniacki. It felt like that match today, honestly.

"They're completely different players, but they kind of play similar in a way. Just making you hit a lot of balls, can hit some winners a couple of times. So I did have deja vu when it came to that match, so it gave me confidence today for sure."

Playing with the passionate support of the home crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Gauff is set to face another American in her next match, yet the crowd's fervor is likely to remain firmly in her corner.

She said: "Obviously Ashe is a very American court, and they're always rooting for the American usually, and especially me. So, yeah, they really got behind me.

"Also, I think it was the fashion. I think I hit a winner on the return and then another winner on the break point I think. I think that just got them into it.

"I felt like I was on the verge of breaking the whole match. That one game in the first set I had 40-15, and I missed two really bad backhand errors."

"I did feel like I was in it the whole match on the verge of breaking. So finally to do that, I think I obviously had a great reaction, and the crowd just got behind me with that."

2024-08-30T21:34:28Z dg43tfdfdgfd