"You just have to accept it, you can’t ignore it" - Gauff on pressure at the US Open

Coco Gauff battled past Elena Ruse to sail into the 3rd round of the US Open and she spoke about reaching a grand slam final and pressure after the match.

Gauff reached the first grand slam final earlier this year at Roland Garros but found herself on the losing side to Iga Swiatek. She'll try to do the same at the 2022 US Open as she already played in the doubles final here last year:

“Getting to a final, I think people expect you to get over that final hurdle, and that’s something I expect of myself too because I know I feel it in me that I can repeat it and do it again. I didn’t expect myself to be so nervous before the final. Now that I know what to expect, I expect myself to at least do better.”

Asked about pressure and the recent flame-out of Raducanu at the US Open, Gauff admitted there is always pressure but you can't ignore it:

“Regarding the pressure, I learned in my life that you just have to accept it, you can’t ignore it. It’s going to be there. You feel it. Everybody else feels it for you. So instead of trying to say, 'I’m not nervous,' I’m saying, 'I am nervous, I do feel pressure, I do feel this.' Now once you acknowledge a problem, you can solve it.”