Coco Gauff and Fellow WTA Stars Predict Who Will Win the Women's World Cup
The ninth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup began in earnest this week as 32 nations vie to win the prestigious football tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
And the stars of WTA Tour have weighed in with their predictions on who will win gold Down Under in a month's time. No surprise that the big favorites feature in plenty, with the most successful team in the competition - the USA - touted to win their fifth championship.
Coco Gauff, a hugely celebrated American tennis player, stands true to her roots and backs the Stars and Stripes to make a real statement by doing a three-peat - becoming the first women's national soccer team to win three straight World Cups.
Fellow American Madison Keys echoed those sentiments saying it would be ''amazing to do three in a row'', and Russia's Daria Kasatkina is also tipping the defending champions to hoist their fifth trophy. The USA kicks off their campaign against Vietnam on Friday, 9 pm ET.
"I think USA will win. But I would say we definitely have probably the best women's soccer or football team, however you want to call it, in the world. So I'm going to root for us."
"USA. They have a very good team. They won their last World Cup and I think they're very hungry to do it for a second time."
Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur has a soft for the England national team. The Tunisians are not represented at the showpiece event, and Jabeur is backing the Lionesses to do even better than their last two campaigns in which their best achievement was a third-place finish in 2015.
England ranks fourth in the FIFA world rankings and is the second favorite according to the oddsmakers to win the tournament. 2007 runners-up Brazil have the vote of tennis player Beatriz Haddad Maia, who thinks host nation Australia will reach the final.
"I think this team called England will win because it is my favorite team. Nothing against the US, I know they are one of the favorites."
"Brazil is going to win. The girls like to fight and are very competitive players. For sure they will play with their heart. And I think Australia will be the runner-up. I wish them all the best and I hope Brazil wins.
The WTA stars almost unanimously agreed that USA's most influential striker Alex Morgan will emerge as the Golden Boot winner - the player with the most goals in the tournament.
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