Cori Gauff vs. Venus Williams: The Tennis Phenom Faces Off Against Her Inspiration

Serena Williams, who trains occasionally at the Mouratoglou Academy, said that she saw some of her own family in Cori Gauff and her family.

“I see her out there working, training, her and her dad; it reminds me of the time where I was out there with my dad,” Williams said. “I can’t help but look inside of myself and be proud and be happy for her.”

Many of the expectations on Gauff come in the form of investments from businesses that have wanted to get in on the ground floor of her career. Roger Federer’s agency, Team8, signed her at 13. She has endorsement contracts with New Balance and the pasta manufacturer Barilla.

Worries over how that pressure could affect young girls whose tennis abilities outpaced their maturity led the WTA to institute an age eligibility rule, which limits the number of tournaments teenagers can play. The successes of Gauff, who was the youngest to reach the United States Open girls’ final two years ago at 13, have renewed debates on the restrictions. She will be allowed to compete at only five more WTA tournaments before her 16th birthday next March. Instead she has played largely on the lower I.T.F. tour.

Mouratoglou called the rule “a mistake,” saying it intensifies the stress during the limited number of tournaments and slows development. The rule is often attributed to the high-profile flameout of the 1990s prodigy Jennifer Capriati.

“The learning experience of a match, there’s nothing that can replace that,” Mouratoglou said. “Of course it’s very difficult when you’re not allowed to play as much as you need to, to gain experience. The pressure: You don’t have the right to mess up one match, because you have so few.”

Source: The New York Times

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