Coco Gauff has depicted immense talent over the past couple of years. At just 20 years of age, she has proved her mettle against the top forces on the courts reminding everyone that age is just a number. Be it defeating Venus Williams in a major breakthrough when she was just 15, or winning her first Grand Slam at just 19 years of age, Gauff has showcased immense grit and determination garnering praises from across the tennis community. Joining the fray of admirers is none other than former tennis star Andre Agassi. 

The tennis veteran engaged in an interaction with the press on the sidelines of the TiE Global Summit 2024, organized on December 10 in Bengaluru, India. He deliberated on a wide range of factors including the talent possessed by players like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, besides discussing the failure of American male players to clinch a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick did it in 2003. 

Speaking about the same in the interview, Agassi expressed his belief that the situation for ATP players from the US might soon change as they have started to experience good support from each other. However, he highlighted that when it comes to women’s tennis, the situation is quite better with the likes of Gauff leading the fray. “The women’s game hasn’t had to deal with Federer, Novak, Rafa, Sinner and Alcaraz,” Agassi said. However, he did not fail to address the fierce competition that prevails in the women’s circuit as well and lauded the potential of Gauff. 

But they have their own version of it. Serena [Williams] is the Novak of the women’s game and you have got Coco with potential,” the star player added. And indeed! The American star has depicted immense capabilities over the past few years winning several accolades and awards. This year too, she won three titles including the WTA finals in Riyadh. She also boasts the US Open title that she lifted last year. Interestingly, Agassi is not the only person to have shed light on her remarkable talent.

Talking about Coco Gauff’s potential, Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rick Macci said, “I have to mention Coco Gauff, the Olympic sprinter with a racquet in her hand. Her backbone is just as good as her backhand.” While he raised concerns over some aspects of her game like her forehand, he exuded confidence in her talent. “She’s such a great competitor and what I love about Coco- she’s 20 years old! People think she’s been there for a long time, you know and she’s already top 3,4 in the world,” he added. And it is because of this talent that she possesses, that the tennis world is quite optimistic about her performance in the next year. 

Coco Gauff anticipated to shine as experts exude confidence in her potential

Coco Gauff witnessed a rocky phase at the beginning of the season and managed to win only one title at the ASB classic. However, she quickly turned the tables and proved her resilience to emerge victorious at the China Opena and then the WTA finals. It is for these abilities that experts believe that Gauff can outshine her counterparts and one such anticipation is coming from none other than Andy Roddick.

Roddick opened up about his true feelings on Gauff and said, “She’s going to sleep a lot better this off-season, and her steps are going to be a little bit lighter when she goes into problem-solving. There’s not as much scar tissue from 2024, she’s almost deleted all of it, and I think she’s prepped for a massive year next year.” But when it comes to Gauff, the star player wishes to remain stoic and not set extreme goals for herself. 

“I’ve never been a person who thinks about the ranking. I only want the Slams, but yes, I know I have this possibility. But honestly, I don’t think about the number 1 of the WTA ranking,” Gauff said about her next goals. For now, it would be interesting to see how the star player performs amidst the remarkable compliments she is receiving from the tennis community.