Breaking News: Coco Gauff reveals how and why she beats her boyfriend
Coco Gauff has taken on a reading challenge in 2024 — to read 24 books in 12 months. As it turns out, the American had a different goal in mind before her boyfriend’s motivation drove her to beat his own reading goals.
As it stands now, the World No. 2 has finished reading 12 books this year. This includes the likes of Haruki Murakami’s ‘After Dark,’ Taylor Jenkins Reid’s ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,’ and Viola Davis’ ‘Finding Me.’ Originally, 12 books would have meant Gauff had finished her reading target for the year.
However, the 20-year-old came to know about the goal her boyfriend had set for himself: to read 24 books in 2024. Speaking to reporters at the Berlin WTA 500 tournament, the American revealed that that was when her competitive spirit kicked in, making her realize that she had to double her own goal to match his.
TrendingCoco Gauff was glad about how the race has been going since then, as she is two books ahead of her boyfriend at the moment.
“[The reading challenge] started because I loved reading as a kid and I kind of lost it when I got older. So at first my goal was to read 12 books, one per month. Then my boyfriend has this thing where he reads the amount of books as the year we’re in, so 24 in 2024, 23 in 2023,” Coco Gauff said.
“So when he said he was going to read 24, I got super competitive and I doubled my goal to match his and I like trying to finish faster than him. I’m two books ahead, so I’m winning right now,” she added.
“It’s just a sacrifice I’m willing to make” – Coco Gauff on her Paris 2024 Olympics participation
During the press interaction, Coco Gauff also spoke about her participation at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. Following Berlin, the American will be in action at Wimbledon before switching surfaces to clay for the Olympics. After that, she will kickstart the North American hardcourt swing, which ends with a title defense at the US Open.
The 20-year-old admitted that the calendar is full, but did not want to miss out on the shot to play in the Olympics, stating that it was a ‘sacrifice’ that she was willing to make.
“The calendar is full, but it’s just a sacrifice I’m willing to make. I know I have a lot to defend in the hard-court season, but there’s experiences that you ask yourself if it’s worth sacrificing for and for me, this is one of those times that I’m willing to,” Coco Gauff said.
Currently in Berlin, Gauff has reached the quarterfinals, where she is set to take on Ons Jabeur.
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Carlos Alcaraz hits out at tennis chiefs over ‘crazy’ rule change
The 21-year-old French Open champion says the new shot clock is ‘bad for the players’ after feeling rushed during his defeat to Jack Draper
QUEEN’S CLUB – Carlos Alcaraz says he will complain to the professional tennis tour (ATP) over a “crazy” rule change that is being trialled at Queen’s this week.
Alcaraz, 21, was handed his first defeat on grass in nearly two years on Tuesday, beaten in straight sets by British No 1 Jack Draper.
As well as being outplayed by Drpaer, reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz tangled with umpire Mohamed Lahyani in the first set over the time he was being given between points.
The ATP has been running a rules trial for the last 10 days where the 25-second “shot clock” starts automatically three seconds after the previous point. Players can be warned and eventually docked a point if they do not start serving before the clock expires.
Ask if he felt rushed during the match, Alcaraz said: “Yeah, absolutely.
“I think for the player it is something bad. I finish the point at the net, and I had no time to ask for the balls. I have time just to ask for two balls and no bounces.
“I have never seen something like that in tennis. If you play a long point or finish at the net, you [should] have time just to go for a towel or [do] your routine: ask for, in my case, four balls, I’m concentrating for the next point, just bouncing my bounces, and serve as best as I can.
“Today I felt like I was in a rush all the time. I had no time to bounce and do my routine. Of course it’s something bad for the players.”
i understands a meeting took place at the Queen’s Club this week with players to discuss the trial, but they were informed of the trial by email two weeks ago, before tournaments in s-Hertogenbosch and Stuttgart, and Alcaraz confirmed he would be submitting a complaint to the ATP after the match.
An even more stringent set of timing rules is being trialled in the doubles tournament, where the shot clock is down to just 15 seconds instead of the 25 afforded to singles players. Once a set, players are allowed to call for a 10-second extension.
“There’s no time to talk tactics,” one player in the Queen’s draw, who asked to remain anonymous, told i.
“You need that time between points to talk in doubles and instead there’s barely time to say ‘well done’, never mind decide what to do.”
At change of ends, teams are only allowed 40 seconds before “time” is called, creating problems for stewards trying to to get spectators into seats between games.
Another player added: “I don’t know anyone that likes it, even the fans on court were complaining about it.”
Before Queen’s, tournament director and professional doubles player Jamie Murray said: “I’m excited to see the ATP continue to try to test ways to figure out things to try to improve the doubles product and unlock more value for all the different stakeholders: players, fans, tournaments, streaming, TV and broadcasters.
“We were excited to be a part of that and hopefully, it’s a positive experience for the players and fans that are coming to watch it at Queen’s this week.”
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