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Coco Gauff receives a lot of praise for often seeming a lot more mature than her age would suggest. The 18-year-old is known for her maturity on matters involving tennis as well as the world outside the court and Gauff feels that is something that is simply built into her personality. However, she also feels that her experience as a responsible older sibling has a big role to play in the same.
Coco Gauff is the oldest of three siblings, with her brothers Codey and Cameron being four and nine years younger than her, respectively.
The American teenage tennis sensation has already earned great achievements on the professional tour, including reaching Grand Slam finals in both singles and doubles, becoming the doubles world No. 1, and breaking into the singles Top-5. At the same time, she is also regarded for always holding her own and providing great insights through her interactions off the court, while also not shying away from speaking about real societal issues.
When asked about her maturity at a very young age, Gauff shed light on the reasons behind the same, also stating that she has already learned a lot in life.
"I don't know. I think that's just my personality in general," Coco Gauff said during a press conference ahead of her 2023 Qatar Open campaign.
"I'm the oldest of three siblings. Maybe that has something to play with it. I don't know. I feel like I have learned a lot quickly."
Elaborating on her learnings, the World No. 6 believes they have come from the 'many life experiences' she has already had along the way, which has in turn given her an understanding of what she needs to do in different situations. Gauff also credited her parents for her clarity of thought and maturity.
Gauff highlighted that she has matured faster than most others at a similar age.
"I think I have had a lot of life experiences early on and learned a lot early on. I don't know. I feel like I always know what I need to do and what I should do," the youngster explained.
"But, yeah, I think it comes from the way my parents are, but I think I have also learned a lot over the years. I feel like that's why maybe I have matured faster than most."
"Pressure is something I have dealt with my whole life" - Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff's maturity has shone through, especially in under-pressure situations in big matches. While that has often amazed many, given that she has been winning big matches at the highest level ever since she was 15, starting with her breakthrough victory against Venus Williams at Wimbledon 2019, Gauff feels dealing with pressure is something she has been used to since her junior days.
The Atlanta, Georgia native stressed that even back then, she had to deal with being the best in her age group and was always expected to win.
"You know, always at a young age I was always the best of my age group or top of my age group, and that comes with a lot of pressure, so pressure is something I have dealt with my whole life," Gauff expressed.
After the disappointment of her 2023 Australian Open singles campaign ending in the fourth round, Gauff had some time to recharge her batteries after a hectic start to the season. Having already won a title in 2023, the American returns at this week's Qatar Open with a Round of 16 clash against either Petra Kvitova or Shuai Zhang.
