Coco Gauff says tennis fans are sometimes ‘disrespectful’ towards lower-ranked players.
The American fell in the fourth round at Wimbledon, defeated by Emma Navarro.
Gauff was one of the last remaining high-seeded players in the draw. The 20-year-old was asked if that added pressure against Navarro.
“Not really,” she responded. “Because I’ve seen and played so many slams where anybody can win.
“And the seed is just a number. It’s just an advantage so you don’t play another seed first round. It doesn’t mean you can’t lose. We’ve seen how a lot of seeds drop out. We’ve seen defending champions drop out.
“It means nothing. I think especially on my side of the draw.. even though the players might not be as known they’re still talented. I think that’s something that people… fans of the game are a little bit disrespectful when it comes to other players on tour.