Tennis Star Coco Gauff Reveals How She Takes Care of Her Mental Health While Preparing for the 2024 Olympics
Coco Gauff is keeping her mental and physical health her number one priority ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
The tennis star, 20, opened up about how she's been taking care of herself before she takes off to Paris for the high-pressured global event.
"Unfortunately, the Olympics is kind of a weird timing for us because it's right after grass season, and right before hard court season, and it's on clay. So we don't have much time to train for it," Gauff revealed in a recent interview. "But, up until then, I’m just trying to enjoy the process. I know I can get result-minded, but this is the one time where I'm like, 'OK, you're not going to experience this again probably for another four years if that's even possible. So just really enjoy it and treat it like a one-time thing.'"
Luckily, the athlete has a foolproof regime to keep her confidence and self-love in check. "When I look good, I feel good. I just got my hair and nails done yesterday, and I swear it makes you feel like a different person. I always try to start a new swing with a fresh hairstyle," she revealed.
"I also have been trying to meditate more. Sometimes I’m impatient, so it’s hard for me to sit still. But I am trying to learn to ground myself and take deep breaths and just stay in the moment because I tend to just go all the time," Gauff added.
As with many competitive sports, the Florida native has to battle superstitions with consistency ahead of a big match. "I always go on court with six rackets, maybe seven, but sometimes I don't fill it. It's not really a superstition — I treat it like a routine," she spilled.
"And then, always, I have fruit. Sometimes when you're stressed, your nervous system can cause you to produce more energy than you're probably used to. There are cases where people cramp, just due to stress. So I eat fruit to combat that," Gauff noted.
The superstar has always stood up for what she truly believes which translates to her strong performance on the court. "It's something that's just always been rooted in me by my grandmother and my parents. I've never felt afraid to help raise awareness of issues that are hard to talk about or things that people don't talk about as much in the tennis world," she explained.
"Being a Black woman, I feel like it's almost a disservice to the people who fought so hard for me to live the life that I live to not recognize the privilege I have and not be able to use it. Knowing everything my grandmother went through, I think it’s important for me to maintain her legacy and the legacy of the people in her generation. I want to continue to make the world a better place and leave my impact on it, especially off the court," she said.
Elite Daily conducted the interview with Gauff.