Former WTA player Annabel Croft has confessed that she feels “really sad” watching Coco Gauff because she believes the American is currently “burdened by pressure and expectation.”
Croft, who attained a career-high WTA ranking of world No. 24, believes the pressure around Gauff’s upcoming US Open title defence has been “building for quite a few months”.
Gauff’s overall results this season have been far from disappointing, with a solid 36-14 record and a world ranking of third.
The 20-year-old began 2024 by winning her only title of the season in Auckland and has advanced to the semifinals of four major tournaments: the Australian Open, Indian Wells, the Italian Open, and the French Open.
Since her run to the final four at Roland Garros, the American star has faced a number of challenges.
Gauff departed Wimbledon in the fourth round, having been seen as a major title candidate and a strong favourite to reach the final from an open bottom half of the draw.
She then lost in the third round of the Olympics to Donna Vekic, and in the third round of the Canadian Open to Diana Shnaider.
Gauff’s previous event saw her Cincinnati Open title defence end in her first match as she was defeated by Yulia Putintseva.
The American will next aim to defend her US Open title, and she will come in New York having lost four of her previous seven matches.
Since her first Grand Slam victory a year ago, Gauff has only won one tournament: the Auckland WTA 250 in January.
Croft spoke with Sky Sports following Gauff’s early exit in Cincinnati, where she discussed the US Open champion’s recent troubles.
“I feel really sad watching her at the moment, because I’m such a huge fan of her tennis and the way she’s gone about her business,” said the former top-ranked player in Britain.
“I think she’s an excellent communicator, not only in the world of tennis, but also with people outside of the sport. She brings people into the sport.
“She is struggling. This is the biggest opportunity to defend the US Open championship. Every time I glance at her, I see that she appears to be under strain and expectation.
“What happened at Wimbledon was that the forehand completely broke down. And now as you’re watching her play, her countenance has a frightened expression. She doesn’t appear to be enjoying herself while playing tennis.
“I believe that type of pressure has been building for several months. Coming back to the US Open has undoubtedly been on her mind.
“It’s always going to be difficult for anyone who tries to defend a major Grand Slam, especially her maiden Grand Slam title. But I have a feeling she is battling with it all and is probably overthinking everything on the court right now.
“And when you have slight technicality frailty, fragility in your game, I think that becomes heightened when you’re under your most extreme pressure.”
