Coco Gauff 'Maybe Best' But 'Could Have Some Problems' At Australian Open
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Tennis legend Mats Wilander thinks Coco Gauff might be the best WTA player in the world right now. However, the Swede named two players who might cause her issues at the Australian Open.
Gauff has been earmarked for glory since she burst onto the scene at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships as a 15-year-old. Her run to the fourth round included a victory against the five-time champion at SW19, Venus Williams.
There have been many highs since that moment. The most notable was winning the 2023 US Open after recovering from a set down in the final against the current world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
However, Gauff's level in the last few months might be the best of her career. Since removing Brad Gilbert as coach and hiring Matt Daly after the US Open, she has played consistently excellent tennis.
Gauff won her second WTA 1000 title at the China Open before finishing 2024 with the second most significant title of her career at the WTA Finals, beating Qinwen Zheng in an epic final that went to a deciding set tiebreak.
The 20-year-old then helped Team USA to win the United Cup. Gauff did not lose a singles or doubles match throughout the tournament, including a straight-sets victory against the world No. 2 Iga Swiatek.
That victory against Swiatek was particularly notable because it was her second consecutive triumph against the Pole after she had lost 11 of their first 12 matches. Her other recent win was in the round-robin stage at the WTA Finals.
Speaking to Eurosport, Wilander outlined the balance Gauff tries to find on her serve and forehand, which have been her two biggest weaknesses. He thinks the young star could be the best in the world right now.
"There’s a lot of talk about Coco Gauff and her serve and her forehand, where is she going to go? Should she play aggressive tennis? Should she be scrappy and get the ball back and play Obviously, there needs to be a combination of the two, but I think that we don’t understand the physical ability of Coco Gauff; she’s a tremendous athlete."
"One of the best female athletes in the world in any sport, and she’s obviously one of the best tennis players in the world, if not maybe the best at this moment."
Wilander is convinced that Gauff will win at least one Grand Slam in 2025 because of her natural ability and work ethic, complementing the American's superb natural talent.
"She’s going to have a great year. She’s going to win a Slam, I’m convinced, and she might even win two Slams. And she’s going to win 10 Grand Slams before she’s done."
"She’s too driven, too good. She has a couple of weaknesses that can be improved, her serve being one on certain days and her forehand on certain days. But it all depends on her opponents and the conditions."
Despite Wilander's belief in Gauff, he feels two-time defending champion Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, who is unhappy about the comments made about Stefano Vukov, could cause her problems in the quick Australian Open conditions.
"At the Australian Open, the courts are very quick and if she ends up playing against someone like Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina, huge hitters on the women’s tour then yeah, Coco Gauff could have some problems."
