"I had a lot of anxiety attacks" admits Coco Gauff looking back at 2022 French Open final against Iga Swiatek

Coco Gauff achieved her first Grand Slam final against Iga Swiatek at the 2022 French Open and admitted to suffering from anxiety attacks before the match. The American had her best performance in a major at Roland Garros up to that point but fell to the world No. 1.

On her way to the final, the 18th seed didn't drop a set and defeated opponents such as Elise Mertens, Sloane Stephens, and Martina Trevisan. However, it wasn't enough against an inspired Swiatek who claimed her second French Open title two months after reaching the top of the rankings for the first time in her career.

Coco Gauff and mental health issues

The current world No. 3 recently appeared on the cover of Time Magazine and commented in her interview that she felt like she lost the match even before playing it due to not being mentally well: "I had a lot of anxiety attacks before that final, it felt like life or death it felt hard to breathe. I lost that match before I stepped on the court," she said.

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Gauff began her journey on the tour back in 2019. At 15 years old, she was the big surprise of Wimbledon, reaching the fourth round and defeating the 7-times Grand Slam champion Venus Williams along the way. Gauff fell to the 7th seed and eventual champion Simona Halep.

Gauff boasts a record of 19-6 in 2024 and clinched a title at the ASB Classic earlier this year.

Expectations for Gauff increased as she then reached the third round of the US Open (losing to the world No. 1 Naomi Osaka) and won her first professional title at the WTA 250 Linz Open, coming from qualifying and defeating the first seed Kiki Bertens on the way and former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko in the final.

The 2023 US Open champion spoke about the pressure she faced from a young age due to the expectations that were placed on her: "I was trying to live up to what other people wanted for me. That got in my head a little bit," Coco Gauff added.

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