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Posted: 2023-01-19 03:20:13

Aside from their precocious talent on the tennis court, Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu share much in common.

They both emerged on the international stage as teenagers, with Gauff as young as 15 when she announced herself with an upset win over Venus Williams as a qualifier at Wimbledon in 2019.

Only months later, the hype surrounding the American had built up so much that she appeared to be feeling the pressure when she was visibly emotional following her straight-sets loss to then-defending champion Naomi Osaka in the third round of the US Open.

A tennis player wipes her eyes as she stands at the net talking to the player who beat her.
Gauff (right) was consoled by Naomi Osaka after losing to the reigning champion at the 2019 US Open.(AP: Adam Hunger)

Now 18, Gauff is coming off an outstanding 2022 season, highlighted by an appearance in the French Open final and a career-high ranking of four.

Raducanu was also forced under the spotlight during her teens.

In the same year she was completing her A-level exams, the Briton won the 2021 US Open as a 19-year-old.

She is the only qualifier to win a major in the Open era and became the first British woman in 44 years to claim a grand-slam singles championship.

Britain's Emma Raducanu has a beaming smile as she holds the US Open trophy with both hands.
Emma Raducanu won the 2021 US Open as a 19-year-old.(AP: Seth Wenig)

Raducanu has since enjoyed mixed fortunes. She was ranked as high as 10 in July last year, but has not advanced past the second round of a major since her US Open triumph.

The defence of her title in New York ended in the first round and her ranking has slipped to 77, while Gauff halted her progress at this year's Australian Open with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) defeat on Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday night.

In tennis, especially in the women's game, there is a history of teenage stars who have enjoyed early success and as a result attracted the burden of expectation from the media and the sport's fan base.

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