‘Literally Impossible’ – Coco Gauff Brings Up Iga Świątek, Aryna Sabalenka As She Addresses ‘Stupid’ Criticism

Coco Gauff is no stranger to dealing with criticism, but the American has developed a strategy to tune out the noise. Following her victory at the Cincinnati Open, Gauff opened up about the issue and defended fellow WTA stars Iga Świątek and Aryna Sabalenka against the intense scrutiny that comes with being at the top.

Coco Gauff Opens Up About Dealing with Criticism After Cincinnati Open Triumph

A dip in form often brings severe criticism for tennis stars. Iga Świątek spoke openly about dealing with “unfair judgment and hate” after silencing her critics by clinching the Canadian Open title.

Similarly, Arthur Fils fired back at his detractors with a “Who’s gonna talk now?” message after winning his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title at the Cincinnati Open. He later explained that the message was directed at his critics back home in France, who had written him off due to his injury issues earlier in the season.

Meanwhile, Gauff claimed a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Jessica Pegula to capture her first title of the season at the WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati. During her post-match press conference, the world No. 4 was asked how she dealt with the kind of criticism her fellow players had experienced.

Gauff revealed that she was quick to brush aside the “stupid” takes that emerged when a player struggled to find their best form. She pointed out that even consistently dominant players like Świątek and Sabalenka are bound to go through difficult stretches, as maintaining an elite level indefinitely is impossible.

“Honestly, I just take it take it and eat it because I’m like, ‘Okay, whatever.’ You have a bad like couple weeks on tour, it’s like people say, ‘Oh, it’s over.’ And all this stupid stuff. Our seasons from January to November, there’s been players who’ve played incredible throughout the whole season, like Iga, for example, and Aryna,” Gauff said.

“And, now maybe they, it’s normal for someone to reach a tough moment. No one’s going to be great all 10, 15 years of their career. It’s just literally impossible,” she continued.

The American explained that she chose to block out the outside noise and simply focus on working hard and improving her game.

“There’s going to be down months and down tournaments and the most important part for me that I’ve learned is just to focus on me and continuing to get better. Like with everything, hard work doesn’t lie and the results will come. Yeah, that’s the thing I’ve learned just to trust the process,” she said.

MORE:After Coco Gauff’s Cincinnati Win, Striking Similarity With Iga Świątek Emerges As US Open Looms

Coco Gauff, Iga Świątek, and Aryna Sabalenka head into the US Open as the favorites to clinch the Grand Slam title. Sabalenka will be aiming to defend her crown at the New York Major, while Gauff and Świątek hunt for another taste of US Open glory.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.