Exclusive: Like it or not, CoCo Vandeweghe will keep doing it her way

No matter what your opinion of CoCo Vandeweghe is, she’s not losing sleep over it.

“I’m not going to be loved like Roger Federer until I win 18 Grand Slams, and still even then I may not be as loved,” Vandeweghe told **TENNIS.com in an exclusive conversation. “Some people like my personality and other people don’t, and it comes with what we do.”

Vandeweghe’s star has been rising for years, and her explosive game carried her to one of the biggest stages in the sport at the Australian Open last week. On her way to her first career major semifinal, she overwhelmed top-seeded Angelique Kerber and reigning Roland Garros champion Garbine Muguruza, both in straight sets.

“I’m elated—almost in a validating sense—that all the hard work and sacrifices have helped me achieve my dreams,” Vandeweghe says. “I have a happier outlook because all the stuff I did is paying off.”

A fortnight like that deserves some worthy celebration—which Vandeweghe participated in whole-heartedly—but also some reflection. In the end, her incredible run culminated in a 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-2 loss to Venus Williams.

“It was disappointing to lose,” Vandeweghe said. “I cried for a little bit after the match because I felt like I was so close to getting back into the match. So in a tennis sense, looking at it was frustrating and disappointing, but overall I’m pretty happy with what has happened.”

The Australian Open put Vandweghe in front of a bigger audience than ever, and the outspoken American—much to both the appreciation and criticism of everyone watching—spoke her mind as freely as ever, especially during her on-court interviews.

“I’m not going to please everybody out there—not everyone’s going to like me,” Vandeweghe says. “The fortunate and unfortunate part is I’m on a really big stage. I have my favorite players and players that I don’t like. I think it just comes with it, how someone wants to interpret what I say.”

Whatever your opinion, it’s exciting to see a player and personality like Vandeweghe do well and still maintain her free-spirited way of thinking and speaking. You’ll never hear a robotic, overly-censored statement that pros deliver on autopilot coming from her mouth.

Vandeweghe, who grew up watching basketball, says that the repetitive mandatory post-match question-and-answer obligations bore her.

“They’re just trying to say the correct thing,” Vandeweghe says. “Sometimes what I say does get me in trouble, but I think it’s more beneficial for someone wanting to be a pro to actually be aware of what I think and what I feel. When I started out on the tour I thought, ‘Holy cow, this isn’t what it thought it was. This isn’t what I saw on TV.’ Hopefully, it’s eye-opening to some people.”

Recently, a lot of attention has been paid to the online abuse that tennis players are vulnerable to—fellow American Madison Keys has even taken a public stance against cyberbullying. More than ever, Vandeweghe is being lauded for her success by fans and followers, but she also has to deal with the haters that come with the territory.

“They can hide behind a computer screen,” Vandeweghe says. “They’re not actually saying it to my face, because if someone actually was to say those things to me face to face, that would be unreal to experience. I think it’s a cut on that person’s character more so than [on] mine. It has no bearing on my life. It has no place in sports.”

Vandeweghe is animated, passionate and unpredictable But no one leaving negative comments or judging her from afar knows her as well as her family and friends, and that’s all that matters to the 25-year-old.

“I think what’s always been important for me and my family is how they perceive how I’m conducting myself on the tennis court, or even in my life in general,” Vandeweghe says. “For me, if they’re proud and pleased with how I’m behaving and competing—and just going about my day-to-day life—then that’s enough for me. I don’t need everyone’s praise, nor do I deserve it.”

The best thing about Vandeweghe is that no matter what her ranking is—it’s currently a career-high No. 20—she stays true to herself and keeps her down-to-earth persona. That is largely, perhaps, thanks to her family background. Among her relatives, there is an Olympian, an NBA All-Star and a former Miss America.

Whatever the reason may be, it’s working.

“I went to my gym today and everyone was giving me hugs and saying congratulations,” Vandeweghe says. “But I’m not any better or different, or anything like that. I still have terrible spelling and won’t go fix my phone because I’m cheap … Never change.”