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Coco dealing with depression/Getty Images
Coco Gauff very depressed at 16.
Blog King, Mass Appeal
DELRAY BEACH — Handling preeminent success at an early age is not easy to do. Not convinced? Just ask tennis extraordinaire Coco Gauff who contemplated sitting out a year to cope with depression. The 16-year-old wunderkind raised eyebrows the other day when she told ‘Behind the Racquet’ she’s “really depressed” as a repercussion of lofty expectations and desolation. Because she’s so young, Coca has made a habit of mortifying elder opponents.
But that comes with a cost. “That led to loneliness at tournaments, which leads to sadness, so for a period of time she was unhappy,” said Candi Gauff, Coco’s mom. “I don’t want to say the word ‘jealousy,’ but it was a spirit of, ‘Why is this young girl winning?’ So she was isolated.”
Coco Gauff on Grappling with Depression and Realizing She Needed to Play Tennis ‘for Myself’ https://t.co/AC7Ep3QrYO
— People (@people) April 16, 2020
Coco, whose been homeschooled since 3rd grade, also remains ostracized from traditional scholastic events. “You are seeing other kids posting photos of going to these high school events, and you’re wondering what would life be like if I didn’t play tennis,” Candi explained.
Fortunately, Coco hasn’t been diagnosed as being batsh*t crazy.
However, a trip to the shrink wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.
“She was never clinically depressed, never diagnosed with depression, never seen anybody about depression,” said Corey Gauff, Coco’s father. “There’s no medicine going on. This is a kid’s personal pressure that they put on themselves and how they deal with it and how they mature.”
Is it time for Coco to seek professional succor?
Or, do you think she’ll work her way through it?
Share your thoughts.
She knows what she feels don’t need a diagnosis only thing they are concerned with is the money that she can make and they don’t have to live in poverty. She be fine I hope it is a great deal of pressure for a young girl and that is why Richard kept the Williams sisters out of the limelight for years.
I don’t recall reading how much pressure the parents put on her either. They seem to take no responsibility for her position.
Great let the parents tell us how SHE feels.
Too much expectations lead to depression and anxiety due to the fact that the person has to put up her best all the time not to disappoint others . She is young and vulnerable taking break will help her understand herself .
She will be a great one and possibly the best player ever! Take it to the bank. Her game resembles Steffi’s and not Serena’s.
Best advice for Coco is to stay away from that Osaka
If she does not have the emotional strength to be involved in competitive sports, her parents should be parents and pull her out (and not just think of the dollar signs)
She cannot handle being told she looks just like serena.
Mental toughness part of the game
Sounds like a girl who will crash and burn and parents in denial that it’s going to happen.
Gee maybe if this little fame seeking egotist had grown up first instead of looking for the quick bucks she would not have supposedly suffered so much. As talented as she is she should have relied on mature people to guide her in the proper way instead of looking to pad their own bank accounts and bask in the glory of her fame.
Happens a lot with young and upcoming stars, who sometimes have parents who try and live through their children. The child wants to make the parents happy, and at the same time, lose themselves in the process.
Why would anyone name a black girl Coco. That’s just mean.
tennis is a lonely sport. You need to work on a balance in your life. Team sports gives you more friendships and social life. Aside from talent it’s what makes a champion. Sacrifices
a teen mind dealing with adult pressure…
Poor girl, being a teenager and playing a sport for a living, earning millions and traveling the world…what a tough life.
Send her to the ghetto in East STL with no money and no job and then we’ll see what depression is.
Is it a prerequisite now for all these young kids to have depression and or anxiety? It seems like everyone’s depressed and everyone’s anxious anymore. And this is pre-corona.
WHO CARES
Most of us are depressed.
Why the overreaction Dad? She said what she said. Because you and mom have neglected to get her the professional help does not mean it didn’t/doesn’t exist. WISE UP (and ease up)…and let her live! It isn’t about YOUR dreams!
Her parents are very busy to deny everything Coco said. It looks like they did not know about her feelings at all and that they hear her story now for the first time. What is the reason Coco has never talked about her sad feelings and that she didnt tell them about the interview she was doing? It looks like they where realy surprised with her disclosure and that they dont like it at all. I hope they dont spank her because she talked to much.
I love my Coco Puffs!
aw, some little black girl needs some attention during our pandemic … how sweet …
I see a young Serena in cocos face Serena at her prime early years get it baby girl
I don’t want Coco to end up like Osaka, i feel Coco is the real deal when she plays she needs to take her time with fame and concentrate on being a kid. Hoping she gets her first GS next year.
It’s mental.
stay strong coco
life is worth living
coco is perfectly sane……. she’s just going through a rough stretch
She is rising star bless her all the best just focus on ur goals
What ever you do Gauff, don’t become another Serena Williams …She’s a big mouth Opressed 200 million dollar Embarrassment to the Classy game of Tennis…Dont play the victim card all your life like Serena…Them days are long gone.!!..if anything the Roles have been reversed, thanks to Barry Hussein and his minions
Future looks great for tennis 👌
Coco is extremely irritating and annoying
She has a chance to go down as the greatest athlete of all-time!
Who cares
This young lady got mad skillz