It has been an eventful year for American tennis. Serena Williams’ retirement last year was sure to leave a void in the tennis world, laying the onus on young tennis stars like Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula to take American tennis forward in the women’s category. The two gave their all, having a wonderful 2023 season. While Coco Gauff won the US Open title, Jessica Pegula has had a consistent run across the tournaments. Recently, a tennis bigwig, Barbara Schett, made a massive revelation for the 2024 season.

Gauff and Pegula have faced a big challenge from the likes of Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka. Although one player has not dominated in all the tournaments, signs are getting clearer for the 2024 season, as Schett explained.

Barbara Schett on Coco Gauff’s and Jessica Pegula’s potential

Recently, the 47-year-old former pro tennis star was involved in an interview with Eurosport. During the interview, Schett weighed in on the chances of Gauff and Pegula while highlighting the key threats to them. Additionally, she also talked about Sabalenka’s rise.

Opening up about this, Barbara Schett said, “I think on the hard courts, it has to be somebody who hits the ball extremely hard, who has a lot of pace, who can put her (Swiatek) under pressure and have a big service.”

Further, she went on to add, “That is a [Elena] Rybakina, that is a Sabalenka. That has to be Coco Gauff. I would throw [Jessica] Pegula in the mix as we’ll see how she’s going to play, but she’s capable of doing that. Maybe [Karolina] Muchova is somebody who can do that, who can also maybe mix it up a little bit but has a bit more pace than Ons Jabeur.”

DIVE DEEPER: Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek’s $45 Million Bounty Not Enough for Tennis To Emerge As Frontrunner in Women’s Sports

Barbara Schett also revealed that Aryna Sabalenka will potentially be a big threat to Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula. Although Gauff won the prestigious US Open title, she still falls way behind Iga Swiatek. And here’s one more factor where Gauff lags.

Who earned more: Iga Swiatek or Coco Gauff?

Recently, Forbes released the list of the highest-paid female athletes in 2023, where Iga Swiatek, who took home $23.9, topped the list. Despite some special victories, Coco Gauff fell way behind the Polish star.

Coco Gauff earned $3.2 million less than Iga Swiatek in 2023. While Gauff’s endorsement deals are more than Swiatek’s, the disparity in on-court earnings signifies worrisome updates for Gauff. Nonetheless, the American tennis sensation can get the ball rolling in 2024 by ushering in her dominance.

Watch this story: EERIE PARALLELS BETWEEN SERENA WILLIAMS AND IGA SWIATEK’S CAREER TRAJECTORY SUGGESTS A BLOCKBUSTER 2024 SEASON FOR THE POLE