Coco Gauff says she now ‘feels ready’ to compete for the biggest titles in tennis as she prepares for the Australian Open.
Gauff burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old at the 2019 edition of Wimbledon, beating Venus Williams in the opening round.
She has slowly improved her game since and is already ranked number 22 in the world.
And, speaking to Eurosport, she said she feels like she has jumped a level in recent months and can now back herself to win titles.
“I definitely feel ready,” Coco Gauff said. “I would say honestly I think I felt ready pretty much after 2019 Wimbledon.
“Going into that tournament obviously it wasn’t something I expected to win well.
“But I think making second weeks in multiple Grand Slams, I think it shows that I can play at that level.
“Obviously the last two or three matches you [have] really got to bring your game.
“I think that’s what we worked on, fine-tuning some things so in the quarter-final, semi-final matches, you can get through those.
“The biggest target is winning a Grand Slam. That’s the goal. But for me also just continuing to be a better person and better player on the court.
“I would say handling my emotions a little bit better are something I need to work on.
“Hopefully when there’s more adversity going on in the matches, I can still keep that straight face, I don’t really know, that poker face in the match.”
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