Coco Gauff started strong at the Italian Open, defeating Tereza Valentova in straight sets. She cited Rafael Nadal's mentality as a source of inspiration as she prepares to defend her Roland Garros title.
Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images
Coco Gauff entered the Italian Open searching for momentum after suffering a Round of 16 defeat at the Madrid Open and a quarterfinal exit in Stuttgart.
The American star is preparing to defend her Roland Garros title later this month, which increased attention surrounding her performances during the European clay court swing.
After defeating Tereza Valentova in straight sets on Thursday, Gauff honestly discussed her current form and explained why Rafael Nadal’s mentality continues inspiring her approach.
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Gauff admitted she would love to produce a deep run in Rome before travelling to Paris for the defence of her French Open crown later this month.
However, the American also stressed that results from previous tournaments do not necessarily determine what will happen at the next event during the clay court season.
“Obviously it would be great to have a deep run here, to have momentum before Roland Garros,” Gauff said following her 6-3, 6-4 victory in Rome.
She added: “But you know, every tournament is new and you know the Rafa quote: ‘What happened in Madrid happened in Madrid.’ We are in Rome. Then we’ll be in Paris.
“I live by that quote, because you can have an alright season, all it takes is one good week and your season can go from bad to good. So Rafa’s mentality is the right mentality,” the defending Roland Garros champion concluded.
Coco Gauff mentioned that Rafael Nadal's mentality continues to inspire her approach to the game.
Coco Gauff won her first match at the Italian Open, defeating Tereza Valentova in straight sets.
Coco Gauff is preparing to defend her Roland Garros title later this month.
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The Nadal quote mentioned by Gauff originally came during the 2017 clay court season after the Spaniard endured three consecutive semifinal defeats on clay.
“What happened in Monte Carlo happened, and what happened in Madrid happened, and what happened in Barcelona happened. And here we are. We are in Rome,” Nadal said at the time.
Despite those earlier setbacks, Nadal eventually recovered perfectly and went on to capture another Roland Garros title later that same season.
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