si.robi, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Why we think Coco Gauff is a Type 3
Desire for greatness from an early age. When she was barely out of primary school, she was already telling anyone who would listen, “I want to be the greatest” [The Telegraph]. And more recently, she has talked about wanting to be the greatest tennis player of all-time by winning the most number of grand slams of all time.
Obsession with tennis (which is really an obsession with winning!). Gauff speaks about herself having “had main-character syndrome” (a tendency to be self-absorbed and for one to only think about one’s own success) and her complete obsession with “tennis, tennis, tennis” [The Telegraph].
Fear of failure and the connection between being liked and winning. In reflecting on her 15-year-old self, Gauff shared how she thought that people would only like her if she won [The Telegraph]. She had an intense fear of what people would think about her if she lost.
Making use of her platform to influence and inspire others. Gauff has a strong desire to inspire others. She has talked about being very aware of the power she has as a result of the fame she has gotten over the past five years. Maria Sharapova, another famous tennis player, has discussed how much she admires Gauff for using her platform to reach others and to move them (with Black Lives Matter, etc). Gauff herself has said that one of her goals is to inspire as many people as she can. “It means so much to me when someone tells me that they picked up a tennis racket because of me or that they tried something new because of me.”
Impulse to take advantage of her association with other champions. In interviews, Gauff has spoken about needing to stay close to Serena Williams and Roger Federer because the associations have given her an advantage, and a lot of inspiration, in her career.
Intense commitment to training. Gauff started playing tennis from roughly six years old, demonstrating a passion and drive for the sport very early in life. By age eight, she was practicing tennis for hours before attending school in the morning. By 10, she took on the challenge of playing with elite players like Venus and Serena Williams. And her current training regime is very intense, practicing tennis and training for many hours each day, in service of her stated goal to become the greatest tennis player of all time.
Commercial mindset as seen in her involvement in NFTs and Web3. In mid 2023, the first Coco Gauff NFT collection arrived at the Autograph platform as part of the “The Future Is…” collection with pieces entitled Make a Racquet, Change the World, and Make an Impact — all minted on the Polygon blockchain. Gauff offered access to a social media Q&A with her for anyone who purchased one of the NFTs and also gave those same people a vote to decide which outfit she’ll wear in a tournament during the summer [Boardroom.tv].
Coco Gauff quotes that show she is a Type 3
“Always dream big, and don't let anyone limit your dreams because the possibilities are endless.”
[After losing to Naomi Osaka at the US Open in 2019] “It wasn’t that I believed I could win the tournament, it’s that I expected to…in my head at the time it felt like I had to win. At 15, I just put so much on myself.”
“Other tournaments play into pop culture and urban areas, but there [at Wimbledon] you feel like you’re the Queen.”
“Throughout my life, I was always the youngest to do things, which added hype that I didn't want. It added this pressure that I needed to do well fast.”
“When I got on tour and when I realized I could do well in doubles... Who wouldn't want to be No. 1 in anything?”
“The world is changing. I’m excited to be part of this next generation that is helping lead the charge.”
“My message has always been 'dream big and aim higher.'”
“I love winning more than I hate losing.”
“I mean, obviously if you are going to lose, you want to lose to the champion.
“The amount of people – and kids especially – that come up to me saying I inspire them is honestly better than any match I could win, just to know that I inspire another kid maybe to pick up a racquet or go through something they're facing at school.”
“Even the more you lose, the more you need to improve, I guess.”
“Obviously, there's always room for improvement.”
“It's pretty cool to be No.1 in something."
“If you can think it, you can do it. If you can dream it, you can do it. Just keep working hard. It won't come easy and it will seem impossible but if you keep working hard it will definitely happen.”
“I'm thankful for the platform that I have and I know how many people that it reaches. I'm aware of that. So I try to make sure I use it to speak out about issues that can maybe slightly change some things.”
"I am always excited to interact and grow closer to my fans, so entering the Web3 space provided a new way to do that. I was interested in collaborating and creating something different, and I saw the Web3 industry as the next thing for me to explore."