Coco Gauff is looking ahead of her, not behind (Image: Getty)
Coco Gauff underlined her elite mentality by dismissing the importance of being US No.1. the world No.3, is the top-ranked American player in the world, although she faces competition for that position from mega-rich rivals and Emma Navarro.
Pegula is the world No.4 while Navarro has recently moved up to No.8. However, for Gauff, overhauling and at the top of the world rankings and winning Grand Slams are her overwhelming priorities. She insists that being the highest-ranked US player is irrelevant to her. Speaking at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, she said: “Honestly, it never meant anything to me.
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“I just feel like all the people say it online. And for me, it really means absolutely nothing. I don’t like to look at it. I don’t care.
“The reason it means nothing is because of the goal, obviously, is to be No.1, period. I’ve never been a rankings girl. Really, I want to just win Grand Slams. My dad always said, ‘the number, the ranking will come with the Slams’.
“So I think for me, I’m looking more at winning Slams. And if I win a Slam this year and don’t become number one, I will be satisfied. I’ll be more satisfied than if I became number one and didn’t win a Slam.”
Jessica Pegula is just behind Gauff in the world rankings (Image: Getty)
Gauff, who turned 21 on Thursday and to Belinda Bencic at Indian Wells, has one Grand Slam title to her name after memorably winning the 2023 US Open. Her biggest domestic rivals in are Pegula and Navarro, who have been supported by their billionaire fathers.
Pegula’s father, Terry, owns NFL franchise the Buffalo Bills and NHL side the Buffalo Sabres. He reportedly has a net worth of approaching £6bn, which Jessica and her three siblings – two from her dad’s first marriage – are set to inherit.
Navarro, meanwhile, is the daughter of Ben Navarro, the billionaire businessman who runs Credit One Bank. Navarro Sr, with a net worth of almost £4bn, owns two tennis tournaments – the Charleston Open and the Cincinnati Open.