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Coco Gauff on Wimbledon return: 'I'm just going to have fun and enjoy it'

Coco GauffImage source, Gareth Fuller / PA
Image caption,

Coco, now 17, is ready for her Wimbledon return this June

Teenage tennis superstar Coco Gauff says she isn't feeling any pressure when she returns to Wimbledon for the first time since her magical debut two years ago.

The US star made it to the fourth round at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships as a 15-year-old before being beaten by eventual champion Simona Halep.

She became a huge name overnight and her career has continued to go from strength to strength.

Gauff has not played a single match on grass since Wimbledon after last year's tournament was cancelled due to coronavirus.

Now 17 and ranked world No. 23, Coco said: "I'm just going to have fun and enjoy it."

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Image source, Reuters
Image caption,

Coco made worldwide news in 2019 after beating tennis legend Venus Williams at Wimbledon

Coco, who is playing at the Wimbledon warm-up tournament in Eastbourne this week, has been reflecting on how life changed two years ago.

"It feels like it was a long time ago - and it was almost two years ago. It's just crazy. I don't know how I'm going to feel going back for the first time. I know I'll be happy," she said.

"I don't really want to push myself to compare my result this year with last time. I want to do better than when I first went there but... I'm thankful for that experience and it definitely helped me as a player and a person."

People might expect me to feel pressure going into it, but I don't really feel any pressure going into it. I'm just going to have fun and enjoy it.

— Coco Gauff, World number 23 player
Image source, Gareth Fuller / PA
Image caption,

Coco on the practice court in Eastbourne this week with her father and coach, Corey

The teenager says she's excited to get back to Wimbledon in London, which is one of the sport's four Grand Slam competitions along with the Australian Open, French Open and US Open.

"Wimbledon is definitely the most prestigious out of the Grand Slams, they have all the rules about wearing the white and only certain people can play on the Centre Court unless you are playing a match there," she added.

"I thought it was so cool maybe to think about playing an exclusive tournament and the fact that I got to do that so young was really cool."

The 2021 Wimbledon Championships begin on Monday 28 June.