"He’s from Spain, we’re working on his English": Gauff explains meaning of 'external focus' in player box with reference to Rafael Nadal

America’s young tennis star Coco Gauff has revealed how she is trying to help her coach understand the meaning of ‘external focus’.

The 19-year-old is one of the most highly-rated young players in the circuit and despite being so young, it seems that she has been around for some time.

Gauff, while talking after winning the semifinal of the Citi DC Open against Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-3, stated how she is trying her coach to understand the meaning of ‘external focus’ in players box with reference to former world number one Rafael Nadal.

“My coach doesn’t know the difference between external & internal focus,” she said. “Top players like Rafa [Nadal] have external focus. He thinks they have internal. He’s from Spain. We’re working on his English.”

Gauff’s impressive run at the Citi DC Open — where she is now scheduled to face Greece’s Maria Sakkari in the final on Sunday — will give her fans a lot of hope going into the final Grand Slam of the year which is set to begin in less than a month’s time.

The Atlanta-born does not have a great record while playing at the US Open where her best outing is reaching the quarterfinal last year where she was defeated by France’s Caroline Garcia in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-4.