People forget I’m still in the developmental phase of my career” – Coco Gauff cites Iga Swiatek as an exception amid her age gap with top 10 stars

Coco Gauff has opened up about still being in the growth phase of her career, highlighting the age gap between herself and most of WTA’s top 10 stars, barring Iga Swiatek. The American made the remarks after clinching her second WTA 1000 title at the 2024 China Open.

After her title defense at the US Open came to a disappointing end in the fourth round, Gauff decided to part ways with her coach Brad Gilbert. After embarking on a new chapter with coach Matt Daly, the American chose to forgo their original plan of skipping the China Open in favor of a training block, expressing her desire to simply “have fun” competing in Beijing.

The decision paid off, as Coco Gauff delivered a stellar campaign at the WTA 1000 event, beating the likes of Katie Boulter and Paula Badosa to set up a blockbuster title clash against Karolina Muchova.

The 20-year-old claimed a dominant 6-1, 6-3 win over Muchova in the final, clinching her second title of the season and rising to World No. 4 in the rankings. However, the American has expressed her intention not to rest on her laurels, maintaining her focus on future growth.

Speaking to WTA Insider after her China Open triumph, Coco Gauff emphasized that she was still in the “developmental phase” of her career. She pointed out that, aside from Iga Swiatek, the majority of the current top 10 stars, like Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina and Danielle Collins, were all aged 25 or older.