"It's just putting my life into perspective, there are people struggling to feed their families" - Coco Gauff on finding joy on the court

Coco Gauff dismantled Jelena Ostapenko 6-0, 6-2 on Tuesday, September 5, to advance to her maiden US Open semifinals. After the match, the American reflected on finding joy on the court and how she tries to stay away from negativity.

Gauff has turned the tide in her favor following her shocking first-round exit at Wimbledon this year. Since then, she has won the Citi Open and Cincinnati Open. The 19-year-old is also one of the favorites to lift the US Open title later this week.

In the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows, Coco Gauff took a confident Jelena Ostapenko who defeated top seed and defending champion Iga Swiatek in the last eight. However, the teenager dominated the contest to win in straight sets.

Speaking in her post-match press conference, Gauff shed some light on how she manages to steer away from negativity and instead find joy on the court. The teenager how, at first, she used to think that she was under a lot of pressure, but gradually realized that she was wrong.

"I think it's just putting my life into perspective. I mean, at first I used to think negative things, like, 'Why is there so much pressure, why is this so hard, blah, blah, blah.' I realize in a way it's pressure, but it's not."

Gauff added that she thought of the people who are actually struggling to even meet the basic requirements to live a proper life. She said that the struggles endured by those people is "real hardship."

"I mean, there are people struggling to feed their families, people who don't know where their next meal is going to come from, people who have to pay their bills.That's real pressure, that's real hardship, that's real life," Gauff stated.

The former World No. 4 concluded by saying doesn't take anything for granted given that she is earning money by doing what she loves.

"In a very privileged position, I'm getting paid to do what I love and getting support to do what I love. That's something that I don't take for granted," Gauff concluded.

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US Open 2023: Coco Gauff will lock horns with Karolina Muchova in the semifinals

Coco Gauff in action at the US Open

Coco Gauff will take on 2023 French Open finalist Karolina Muchova in the semifinals of the 2023 US Open.

The Czech beat Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. Muchova earlier beat former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina 6-3, 6-7 (8), 6-4 in the third round of the tournament.

This will be the second time Gauff and Muchova will face each other on the tour. The duo played against each other for the first time in the Cincinnati Open final, with the American winning the clash 6-3, 6-4 to win the title.