‘Coco Gauff is exhausted’ – Former world number one defends teen’s WTA Finals disappointment

Lindsay Davenport has jumped to the defence of Coco Gauff, saying her WTA Finals shocker was down to exhaustion.

Gauff was expected to impress in front of her home crowd in Fort Worth, but she lost all six of her singles and doubles matches during the group stage of the tournament.

It was certainly a disappointment for Gauff, who is the WTA world number four in singles and the world number two in doubles, but Davenport has urged patience and understanding, especially given her age and the sheer volume of tennis she has played this year.

“It’s the first season that Coco Gauff is not under the age of eligibility,” Davenport said. “She’s played over 20 tournaments, she’s looked exhausted.

“She’s kind of looked the same and Guadalajara, and I think for a player that was such a great junior, it’s been so fun to get to the top.

“But also, you’re normally, you don’t take five losses in a row. Yeah, two in Guadalajara with the singles and the doubles. And then you start here with losing two doubles and the other singles, I think it’s a lot for her.

“She goes back, she’s only 18. Let her have some fun, and we want to see her playing with a smile.”

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