Coco Gauff broke down in tears throughout an emotional press convention following her shock exit from the Australian Open on the last-16 stage on Sunday.
The 18-year-old often cuts a composed determine beneath the glare of the world’s media, regardless of her tender age.
However it all turned an excessive amount of when requested in regards to the frustration she felt throughout her 7-5 6-3 fourth-round defeat to Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion.
“I labored actually onerous and I felt actually good coming into the event, and I nonetheless really feel good,” Gauff advised reporters.
“I nonetheless really feel like I’ve improved rather a lot. However, , if you play a participant like her and she or he performs very well, it’s like there’s nothing you are able to do.”
The prodigiously proficient American, who should now wait at the least a bit longer for a primary main crown, added: “I really feel like at the moment I might say nothing as a result of each match you play an element in, however I really feel prefer it was tough.
“So it’s a bit of bit irritating on that half.”
Her voice immediately started to crack, the tears flowed and {the teenager} was provided a tissue, earlier than saying: “I’m OK. We will preserve going.”
Gauff gathered herself to say she would now be supporting her doubles accomplice Jessica Pegula, who was later enjoying one other former French Open champion, Barbora Krejcikova, for a spot within the final eight.
“I hope that she continues effectively within the event now that I’m out,” Gauff smiled. “I hope she wins it.”
Gauff and Pegula, the ladies’s doubles second seeds, will play for a spot within the quarter-finals Monday in opposition to Miyu Kato of Japan and Aldila Sutjiadi of Indonesia.
“I’m excited to play doubles. I feel it offers me an opportunity to nonetheless be round and I undoubtedly take pleasure in simply competing on the whole,” mentioned Gauff.
“So I feel it should assist me (recover from defeat), simply let me play with some frustration.
“I feel doubles has taught me how one can play, after shedding, how one can play with frustration, and that’s what I felt like at the moment. I used to be annoyed.”
