Former ATP player and current tennis analyst Mats Wilander spoke about Coco Gauff ahead of the 2024 US Open, suggesting that she has technically stagnated.
It's been one year since the American lifted her maiden Grand Slam trophy at the US Open, and most would agree that she hasn't built on that. Gauff seems like the same player she was a year ago, with a crucial difference compared to this time last year.
She was playing outstanding tennis at this time last year, but she has not been playing very good tennis this year. Her form has been very shaky, with a couple of bad losses, so much so that she's not considered among the favorites for the last major of the season in the eyes of top analysts.
Wilander does believe that Gauff can win the US Open, but he, too, agrees with colleagues that the 20-year-old hasn't really taken a step forward. Speaking to Eurosport, Wilander suggested that she has technically stagnated since last year.
"I think technically, you would have to say that she has stagnated slightly. Her serve didn’t improve as much as we thought. Her forehand didn’t improve as much as we thought."
What didn't stagnate was the American's passion and fire, which are still there. Some would say her fighting spirit has carried her to victory more than once, even in the US Open final.
She drove Aryna Sabalenka crazy with her defense last year, and that's certainly something she will have this year as well.
According to Wilander, it's certainly good enough to carry her to victory, but whether it will be enough to carry her to the trophy remains to be seen. Another plus for her will be the crowd, who will heavily back her all the way.
"But I think her fighting spirit is there and the US Open is going to fire her up. And can you imagine the American fans, how they are going to support her, mainly because she is not playing well. I think they’re going to be so much on her side that it’s really going to help her."
Eventually, much like his colleagues, Wilander isn't sure what the problem is for Gauff. She has all the talent in the world, but she doesn't seem to be developing it. Many fans keep waiting for her to fully unleash her potential.
"I’m not sure what’s wrong with Gauff, except I think what is most probably different is that she’s so young. She’s already won the US Open. She’s the American hope. Obviously, in many ways she’s sort of become a little bit of the face of the WTA Tour."
The American is obviously not failing because she's one of the youngest players on the WTA Tour, still one of the best, and a Grand Slam champion. To some, it just appears like she's not fulfilling her potential, which speaks mostly to how talented she is.
This US Open will be an important test for her, and perhaps she will surprise many people with a solid run. The crowd in New York would certainly welcome it.
"So I’m not worried. I think it’s another situation where, ‘Hey, listen, I proved the point to myself and to a lot of critical people out there that I can win a major’. Who cares in the end if you win in Cincinnati or Washington, which she did last year, who really cares because it’s all about the major."
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