Women's Health September 1, 2026 0 Comments

Unlock Coco Gauff’s Secret Mental Edge: 5 Game-Changing Habits That Crush Pressure Every Time

Ever wondered what fuels a two-time Grand Slam champ when the pressure’s mounting and the clock’s ticking down? Take a moment to imagine Coco Gauff, fresh off a match at Wimbledon, glancing at a text from her dad reminding her to eat between those nail-biting changeovers. It’s a small gesture—but in tennis, where matches can stretch from an hour to a grueling three, staying sharp isn’t just about skill; it’s about smart fueling and mental grit. Coco’s journey isn’t just a lesson in athletic prowess; it’s a masterclass in balancing fierce competition with self-care, especially when every point counts and the frustration hits hard. So, what keeps this rising star from running on empty? Let’s break down the habits that keep her game—and her mind—locked in, ready to turn setbacks into comebacks. LEARN MORE

3 min read

At Wimbledon earlier this year, Coco Gauff grabbed her phone after a match and saw a text from her dad. “Make sure you’re eating and fueling up in between the changeovers,” he wrote.

The two-time Grand Slam champion has learned that a lack of nourishment can slow down her reaction time on the court, but “sometimes when I get angry, I just don’t refuel,” she says.

The unpredictability of tennis—matches can last an hour or three—means staying alert is critical.

Coco went viral at the 2023 U.S. Open when cameras caught her snacking on a homemade fruit salad during her championship run; she’s since become so known for the ritual that Naked Smoothie named her their Chief Smoothie Officer and tapped her to co-create a bespoke flavor, Protein Pineapple Orange. She’s “not really a snacker,” so this is now her fuel of choice in between practices. “It has 20 grams of protein,” she says. “That’s the main thing of my whole entire life and diet, is just trying to get protein in.”

While prioritizing those essential nutrients is a nonnegotiable, so is treating her mind with the same care and intention. The 22-year-old, who turned pro when she was just 14, says her mental approach to tennis has relaxed a bit from the start of her career, when every win and loss felt devastating. “I still am just as competitive, but trying to also find positives when I lose,” she says.

Here, the habits that keep her from running on empty.

1. Visualize your ideal outcome.

When nerves set in, Coco focuses on a version of the situation in which she sees herself succeeding in the ways she wants to. “Sometimes when you’re nervous, you think about all the things that could go wrong,” she says. “So I just try to trick myself into all the things that could go right.”

2. Build a reset ritual.

If Coco notices herself losing multiple games in a row, she finds small ways to bring herself back to center. That can look like “going to the towel”—walking to the back of the court to dry off and take a beat—or making a conscious effort to slow down and remind herself not to rush.

3. Embrace solo time.

Coco spends much of the tennis season on the road, often without her loved ones, and staying cooped up in her hotel room can zap her mood. So she takes herself out to the movies, the arcade, or even the zoo on her off days. “I try to do it with people, but if everybody’s busy, I don’t mind doing it by myself.”

4. Don’t be too hard on yourself.

Early in her career, Coco would let the result of a match decide how she felt about
her performance. But now, she recognizes that she could play well and still lose—or win, but not play her best. “I’m trying to find the balance of not overly critiquing myself and also celebrating the things I did well,” she says.

5. Stay present.

Losing the first set of a best-of-three match can feel defeating, but Coco thinks about everything she needs to do in order to win the next set, and then gets it done. “You can’t control the future,” she says. “Take it one point at a time.”

Amanda Lucci is the director of special projects at Women’s Health, where she works on multi-platform brand initiatives and social media strategy. She also leads the sports and athletes vertical, traveling to cover the Paris Olympics, Women’s World Cup, WNBA Finals, and NCAA Final Four for WH. She has nearly 15 years of experience writing, editing, and managing social media for national and international publications and is also a NASM-certified personal trainer. A proud native of Pittsburgh, PA, she is a graduate of Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Follow her on Instagram @alucci.