Former seven-time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin is hailing Coco Gauff's resilience and believes that is the quality that will help the 20-year-old achieve more big success in the future.
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Last week, the American tennis star added a WTA Finals title to her collection and it came after surviving major drama and some extremely tense moments. Through the first set and a half, Zheng Qinwen appeared to have everything in her hands and that she would rout the 20-year-old in straight sets since she was up by a set and a break.
With her back turned against the wall, Gauff managed to respond and send the Riyadh championship match into a third set. There, she was twice down by a break - even 3-5 down at one point - but came back to win 3-6 6-4 7-6 (2).
Before her WTA Finals triumph, the American had a poor and disappointing summer and didn't do well at Wimbledon, the Paris Olympics and the US Open. Also, she was mightily struggling with her serve and she was all but in a good situation.
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But she didn't quit on the season and as a reward managed to win Beijing and the WTA Finals, while she was also a semifinalist in Wuhan.
"She has a resilience that potentially will take her very far in terms of what she will win in her career. She has the capacity to bounce back, and thats the sign of a potentially very big future. Of course, there is a path to get there and reach these successes. Her end of season has been really exceptional, the way that she went after the win in that final," Henin told Eurosport.
Its great to watch matches of that quality. Weve seen a lot of them this year and were seeing some rivalries begin to establish themselves at the top of the game. Coco showed once again a lot of heart, she plays with her weaknesses, with her flaws, but she never gives up and thats what she showed once more in that final.
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After a three-hour and seven-minute battle in the Riyadh final, Gauff admitted her mindset was not to give up and see what happens.
"it was a great match. Qinwen played great tennis, I tried my best to hang in there and I never gave up. Ive been in situations like this in the past and have been able to turn it around and I was so glad to do it again," she said following the win.
Henin on Gauff's critics
The 20-year-old calling out her "haters" isn't anything new after she famously did iit for the first time following her 2023 US Open triumph. Back then, the American tennis star claimed that she "kept receipts" and knew what everyone was saying about her on social media. And after becoming a Grand Slam champion and shutting down claims that she was "overhyped," she made sure to let her critics hear it.
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This time, she cheekily remarked that her WTA Finals victory probably ends the narrative that her 2024 season hasn't been great.
Also, she issued another post.
"Also, I know tend to focus on 'doubters/haters' but this one is really for all of my supporters! Yall held it down for me win or lose! I thank you for that. I see you and I appreciate you. And I know some of you are a little bit petty like me so it does feel nice to silence them for a bit," Gauff wrote on X.
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Reflecting on that, Henin acknowledged that some of the American's results this season probably weren't up to the standard but also noted that the world No. 3 herself has nothing but the highest expectations of herself.
Thats also part of the game, the critics. She had some results that were less good, there is then analysis of that. She had a very difficult summer. Last year she had a summer that was completely different. Weve seen things that have evolved in her game in a difficult way, but I was nonetheless quite impressed by the level of her game [in Riyadh]. Even if we can analyse her career and her results, we must also not forget that she is still very young and we are very demanding with her. She is very demanding of herself," Henin said.
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Meanwhile, Gauff's 2024 season is over and her next official tournament will be the United Cup.