Coco Gauff made a worldwide splash at Wimbledon as a 15-year-old five years ago but in one way, her subsequent climb could be described as methodical.
Gauff’s maiden senior title came at a 250-level tournament before the sequence of 500 (Washington), 1000 (Cincinnati) and Grand Slam (US Open 2023) followed.
DRAW: Australian Open 2024 women's singles
The next step for the now 19-year-old? To bag another major, she said.
Actually, many more of them.
“I would say recently I feel like I wanted to get double digits,” Gauff told reporters on the eve of Australian Open 2024.
“Who knows? That could change depending on how my career goes. Right now, I would say double digits would be pretty awesome. I don't know if it will happen, but I think that's a high goal.
“I think setting my goals high pushes me beyond what I think I can do.”
Indeed. Gauff stated in previous years that she wanted to achieve “greatest of all time” status.
After a spell where first-time Grand Slam champions exited prior to the second week at the ensuing major, Aryna Sabalenka and Marketa Vondrousova bucked the trend at Roland-Garros and US Open, respectively, in 2023.
Gauff might have taken note.
And dovetailing with her ambition to scale the Grand Slam ladder, the world No.4 said New York – while certainly not forgotten – rests in the rearview mirror.
“Some players’ goal is to win a Grand Slam. Once they reach that, it's kind of, ‘What's next?’ For me, I always knew I wanted to win multiple,” said Gauff.
“It was kind of easy to forget about it. Not ‘forget’. I think that's the wrong word. Maybe just put it in the past and look forward to the future instead of dwelling on the past.
“I think for me the only thing I will try to remember from that Slam is just the way that I won. It wasn't my best tennis. It was more so the mental fire,” continued Gauff, who rallied from a set down in three of her seven outings and trailed by a break in the third set in another.
Her stint in Auckland in early January hints at a lengthy sojourn at Melbourne Park, where a first quarterfinal could precede a second Grand Slam trophy.
In New Zealand Gauff claimed her first title post Flushing Meadows, only dropping one set along the way – in the final against Elina Svitolina.
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Gauff tweaked her service motion in the off-season, converging the racquet and ball slightly higher prior to the ball toss for more steadiness on the toss itself.
“It was a good change,” said Gauff. “Hopefully I can continue that serving throughout.
“Sometimes I still have to remind myself of it. I think for the most part I was really open to it. I think my serve is something that when it's on, it's a really big weapon and can get me out of some situations.
Demonstrating her point, Gauff slammed the second fastest women’s serve in US Open history in 2022 at 128 mph (206 kph) and finished in the top six in that category at last year’s event.
But her court coverage, ability to change tactics in the heat of battle – including in the third set against Australian Open 2018 winner Caroline Wozniacki when she sought to finish points at the net – and poise all come in handy, too.
While Gauff has avoided a blockbuster opener at this Australian Open, first-round foe Anna Karolina Schmiedlova matched her best showing at a hard-court Grand Slam by making the third round at the US Open.
The world No.67 is no stranger to ousting seeds at majors or playing in marathon encounters, although her biggest wins have previously come on clay at Roland-Garros.
A win for Gauff and she may face heavy hitting Caroline Dolehide in the second round and a rejuvenated Leylah Fernandez in the third.
No matter how the road veers, Gauff backs herself to adjust with valuable lessons digested following a first-round departure at last year’s Wimbledon.
“Even when I feel like I'm not playing great, your mind can change things,” said Gauff. “I think that was the difference between Wimbledon and the US Open.
“I improved a little bit, but not to the point where it's first round to winner. It was more so the mind. I completely changed my mindset.
“I think that was the biggest thing I learned, trying to stay mentally focused on every point, every match, and just being positive.”