Coco Gauff has offered Maya Joint a psychological strategy ahead of the Australian teenager's daunting first-round Wimbledon encounter with Serena Williams.
The American, currently ranked seventh in the world, suggests that Joint should resist the temptation to glance at the scoreboard during their clash at the Championships.
According to Gauff, seeing an opponent's name displayed can make the magnitude of the moment feel overwhelming.
"When I was in that position, I didn't look at scoreboard the whole match. I did not want to see Venus' name," Gauff explained. "No matter how much you try to block it out, I feel like once you see the name, it makes seem everything real."
Coco Gauff has given Maya Joint advice on how to beat Serena Williams
|REUTERS
Gauff's counsel stems from her own remarkable experience at the All England Club seven years ago.
As a 15-year-old making her Wimbledon debut, she defeated Venus Williams by employing precisely this mental approach.
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The now 22-year-old deliberately kept her eyes away from the scoreboard throughout that memorable contest.
She believes that maintaining this discipline prevented her from becoming consumed by the enormity of facing a tennis legend on such a prestigious stage.
"Maybe don't look at the scoreboard," Gauff advised. "Also you have to go in with the belief you can win and expect that they're going to play great tennis now."
Serena Williams training at the practice courts in Wimbledon on June 24 ahead of the 2026 championships | GETTYJoint faces an unusual predicament in preparing for this high-profile encounter.
With Serena having been absent from competitive tennis for several years, there exists virtually no recent match footage for the young Australian to study.
"It's different. We haven't seen Serena play in many years, so there's not really much a scouting report you can go off of," Gauff observed. "I definitely think she has to go in it believing she can win."
The 23-time Grand Slam champion is returning to singles action at a major for the first time since the 2022 US Open.
Gauff anticipates the match will take place on Centre Court or Court 1, adding to the pressure Joint must navigate.
The Williams sisters have shaped Gauff's entire tennis journey, a debt she readily acknowledges.
Both Serena, with her seven Wimbledon singles titles, and Venus, who has claimed five Championships crowns, inspired the American to pursue the sport.
"Oh, the biggest [impact]," Gauff said of their influence. "I played the sport because of them, believed that I could do things because of them. I look up to them a lot."
Remarkably, even when competing directly against her idols, Gauff found herself in admiration.
"Even when I played them, I'm still admiring. I think that's the only time that's happened to me in this sport."