I wish Cori Gauff all the best, achieving so much at the tender age of 15.
But I am playing the devil's advocate here, because I have been a fan of this sport for more than two decades, and there are plenty of stories on the women's side of young female tennis prodigies come out of nowhere and winning the grand slams and then crashing and burning in the end!
I am worried that maybe it's her parents who are really pushing her because professional tennis offers big money - she may win this Australian Open, but would she be mature enough to handle the immense pressure that this newfound fame and fortune opens up to her?
Professional tennis is like the fashion world. The competition calendar is relentless and all year round.
The toll on the physical body and a player's mental state is enormous, not to mention the nonstop traveling!
You never get to sleep on the same bed for months! That instability would be tough on a teenager.
Top players today have to stay healthy, sane, and at tiptop form, otherwise, there's always another girl waiting for you to fail.
I was 15 once and I just wanted to be a teenager. I hope they also let Cori be a teenager first. It would be a pity if she wins, what, one, two, three, grand slams, then crashes out of the sport at the age of 18.
That would be such a tragedy for women's tennis!
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