Reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff suffered a major blow in Rome. Despite reaching the semifinals against her biggest competitor Iga Swiatek, Gauff’s serve and backhand stormed the internet with fans being mad over her tennis skills. As this American moves forward for clay court’s biggest tour of the season, legend Jimmy Connors assures fans of Gauff’s performance while warning her about her constant Polish threat on the court.

In a podcast Advantage Connors, Jimmy Connors expresses his admiration for America’s WTA star Coco Gauff as he delved into a conversation with his son and host Brett Connors. Despite praising the Miami and the Charleston Open winner Danielle Collins’s incredible improvement in the last few months, Jimmy still seemed inclined towards Gauff. “But also I want to say about Coco. I mean now Coco, a semifinalist, you look at her and when she is in the draw you say well we know where she should be, right? You know then her game and then while we expect to her even though she is now only I think twenty”- said Connors.

Here Connors refers to Gauff’s incredible performance at the Italian Open. Despite being less experienced on clay surfaces, Gauff ended up as the semifinalist in Rome. Her serving and backhand skills were heavily criticized by the fans. It went to the extent that they questioned Gauff’s US Open victory. However, legends like Jimmy Connor and Rennae Stubbs came forward to acknowledge this American WTA star’s worth in the professional tennis scene.

On the other hand, America’s other tennis star Danielle Collins who declared retirement after this season performed unimaginably well at the Italian Open. She defeated Caroline Garcia in the round of 32, then Irina Camelia Begu in the round of 16, and Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals before losing to Sabalenka in the finals. Her recent performances brought her a WTA rank of 12 since May 20th after she reached her career’s highest WTA rank of 7 in 2022.

Connors further delved into Gauff’s mental pressure. He also spoke to his son about Aryna Sabalenka alongside Gauff, whom he thinks the audience is rooting for currently. “Yeah you know when you get to the semis that’s when you, sometimes it is tough to go out there and play when you are only 70-80% at win. And she’s the one that everybody shooting for I think for her and Saby right? I think between the two of them right now, they are right in the way, that they are top of the game and they have proven that in the last number of weeks” – said Jimmy Connors.

After that, Brett Connors speaks about Gauff’s one of the biggest rivals and clay court champion Iga Swiatek’s performance. Brett emphasizes the fact that Swiatek won the French Open thrice with her recent massive victory in the Italian Open. Given her record on clay, she will be a great threat to others. Swiatek also defeated Gauff in the Italian Open’s semifinals recently. In their 11 encounters, Swiatek has been victorious in 10 matches. Since Gauff will be facing this opponent in the French Open, Jimmy advises this American to improvise and perform well against the Polish.

His comments helped fans to understand that Gauff should not be criticized because he had a moderate clay court beginning. When players achieve a big feat, they are often clouded with expectations and pressures. Connors delves into how Gauff’s current situation showcases her extreme pressure but looking at her records, this eight Grand Slam winner legend thinks she has the power to return and impress her fans back with her amazing performance.

However, Jimmy Connors’s admiration for Gauff doesn’t seem like an alien idea to Gauff’s fans. They remember how this legend predicted Gauff’s Grand Slam win when the American won her first WTA 1000 title in the Cincinnati Open last year. Despite bashing the young generation of tennis players for one negative quality, Connors always stood for Gauff.

Jimmy Connors thought Coco Gauff was “on the right track” before her US Open win

Last year when the American WTA star Coco Gauff debuted to winning WTA 1000 titles with the Cincinnati Open, Connors predicted her US Open win and dropped her important advice on the same podcast Advantage Connors. “Well I mean you got to go step-by-step, You know, win a 250 then you want to win a 500, then you win a 1000, but then you need to win a Grand Slam, the Grand Slam set you apart and in a different category. So you know the steps that Coco Gauff’s taking and Jessica Pegula that they’re taking, They’re on the right track, you know, but the the next step is winning a Grand Slam” he said.

Jimmy Connors’s admiration for Coco Gauff’s tennis brilliance assures fans about this young American tennis star’s future. More than winning titles, Connors’s words echo how talented players can marvel with their fans’ support, however “Yeah, you know you you’ve got to be out there, The only thing better than playing and winning is playing and losing because at least you’re in the game.”