The Florida-based 16-year-old has enjoyed a
sensational run on the professional circuit since July last year
when she reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in her first
major championship appearance.
She also reached the fourth round on her Australian Open debut
this year, paving the way to breaking into the top 50 in the WTA
rankings -- the first 15-year-old to do so in 15 years.
"Throughout my life, I was always the youngest to do things,
which added hype that I didn't want," Gauff wrote in a post for
Behind The Racquet.
"It added this pressure that I needed to do well fast.
"Right before Wimbledon, going back to around 2017/18, I was
struggling to figure out if this was really what I wanted. I
always had the results so that wasn't the issue, I just found
myself not enjoying what I loved.
"I realised I needed to start playing for myself and not other
people. For about a year I was really depressed. That was the
toughest year for me so far."
Gauff said she felt friendless due to her "dark mindset" and
considered taking a year off just to focus on life.
"Choosing not to obviously was the right choice but I was close
to not going in that direction. I was just lost," she said. "I
was confused and overthinking if this was what I wanted or what
others did.
"It took many moments sitting, thinking and crying. I came out
of it stronger and knowing myself better than ever."
Gauff has been already touted as a long-term successor to Serena
Williams at the top of U.S. women's tennis and while she said
she was getting used to people viewing her as a role model she
did not like being compared to Serena or her sister Venus.
"First, I am not at their level yet. I always feel like it's not
fair to the Williams sisters to be compared to someone who is
just coming up," she added.
"It just doesn't feel right yet, I still look at them as my
idols.
"Of course I hope to get to where they are but they are the two
women that set the pathway for myself, which is why I can never
be them.
"I would never have even thought about joining tennis, without
them a part of it, since there were very few African Americans
in the sport."
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly; editing by Peter Rutherford)
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