After Venus Williams’ Discerning Update, 18-Year-Old Coco Gauff ‘Glad’ to Remain Injury-Free Down Under

Venus Williams pulling out of the Australian Open comes as a shock to fans and tennis enthusiasts all over the world. Meanwhile, Venus’ very own cheerleader, Coco Gauff, expresses relief at not meeting the same fate as her idol. The season’s warm-up event is never supposed to adversely affect players’ performances for the Grand Slam tournaments. However, America still has hope of bringing the ASB cup home after her semifinalist reached the finals on Saturday.

Coco Gauff became the first finalist of the ASB Classic after she defeated Danka Kovinic. The match was surprisingly uninterrupted, unlike other ASB matches which regularly suffer due to the rainy weather and slippery courts. After she confessed that it does get hard playing in such weather conditions, Gauff posted an Instagram story to relate her experience to her fans.

Coco Gauff doesn’t want to run down a slippery slope

The young American tennis star has been open about her opinions regarding the ASB Classic. Coco has candidly spoken in her post-match interviews about how difficult the matches are – owing to the bad weather. Coco’s last match was held indoors. Even then, the situation and the indecisive waiting time had put her out of the game’s mindset. Not to mention, players are not even sure about their meal timings due to this regular interruption at the ASB classic matches.

However, the weather did not interrupt the match, and neither did it result in any injury to the players. To add to her joy of proceeding to the finals, Gauff posted a story on her Instagram account. She confessed to the sheer joy of finishing the match before it started to pour. She wrote on her Instagram story, “LOL I’m glad I finished right before the rain came”.

Read more: Florida Girl Coco Gauff Reveals How a TikTok Fan Pushed Her to Register a Great Victory in Australia – ‘It’s the Tropical Weather’

Williams and Raducanu are left walking on eggshells

Recently, the 42-year-old Venus Williams dropped out of the Australian Open 2023. The tennis legend suffered a severe injury at the ASB Classic, leaving her with no choice but to withdraw from the first Grand Slam tournament. Venus had also pulled out from the 2022 Australian Open due to a similar leg injury. In the event of this sudden injury, Venus’ wildcard entry passes on to the Australian tennis star Kimberley Birrell.

The ASB Classic has proved unfortunate for Emma Raducanu as well. The 20-year-old British tennis player left the court in tears after her last match against the Slovvakian star, Viktória Kužmová. Raducanu rolled her ankle on the slippery court and sustained an injury. The match was ultimately called off after she walked out right in the middle of the crucial third set.

Watch this Story: Serena Williams, Coco Gauff, and other American stars’ top moments at the US Open