"I learned about life a lot" - Coco Gauff clarifies her newfound attitude of 'lightness' at Wimbledon despite burden of expectations

Coco Gauff booked her spot in the third round of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships on Wednesday, beating qualifier Anca Todoni 6-2, 6-1. It means she has already won two matches more than she did last year, when she crashed out in the opener in shocking fashion against Sofia Kenin.

Returning to SW19 as the reigning US Open champion, Gauff was asked at her on-court interview about the newfound attitude of 'lightness' in her game now. The American, all smiles, admitted that the assessment was indeed true, stating that she has learned about life a lot in the last year and about how to deal with the pressure of expectations.

The World No. 2 made it clear that at the end of the day, tennis will remain just a sport and not a matter of life and death on the court. As a result, Gauff feels less stress about living up to the idea others have of her.

"I think overall I just learned about life a lot. I guess it’s what you do as you get older. What I do, I’m passionate about but it’s not ever that serious. The world can make you feel like there’s so much pressure and expectation," Coco Gauff said.

"At the end of the day it’s a game, it’s sport. I’m very very privileged and honored to be playing in front of you guys. This is the court where I first started here at Wimbledon. Court 1 is always a special place for me to play," she added.

Gauff's previous best result at Wimbledon has been reaching the fourth round, which she achieved in 2019 and 2021.

Coco Gauff to take on either Sonay Kartal or Clara Burel in Wimbledon third round

Day Three: The Championships - Wimbledon 2024

Following her win over Anca Todoni, Coco Gauff will take on either Sonay Kartal or Clara Burel in the third round at Wimbledon. The duo are currently locked in battle in the second round, with Kartal taking the opening set 6-3 over the Frenchwoman.

Should she reach the fourth round, it will be the toughest test Gauff will face at Wimbledon yet, with one of Sloane Stephens, Emma Navarro, Diana Shnaider or Emma Navarro set to be the World No. 2's opponent. In the quarterfinals, she is likely to face either seventh seed Jasmine Paolini or 12th seed Madison Keys, with former US Open champ Bianca Andreescu also in the mix.