The World No. 3, Coco Gauff, enjoyed a bitter-sweet run on the tour last year. Amid serving woes and losing to lower-ranked players. Gauff decided to cut ties with ex-coach Brad Gilbert and join forces with technique correction specialist Matt Daly. Since then, the American player has enjoyed remarkable improvements in her serve and forehand. The American, after capping the 2024 season in style(with China Open and WTA Finals), returned to the circuit for the United Cup in Perth. Subsequently, her impressive string of results, as opposed to Polish Iga Swiatek‘s latest showing, prompted an acclaimed commentator to anticipate glory for the American sensation.

Swiatek, on the other hand, has been struggling since her French Open triumph in June. To add salt to the wounds, the Pole was also slapped with a one-month ban from the WTA following her positive dope test, stemming from an out-of-competition sample. The five-time Major winner even conceded her World No. 1 rank to Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka after experiencing a shape drop in form, days after she parted ways with former coach Tomasz Wiktorowski.

Gauff, poised to flaunt her athletic finesse, recently defeated the Polish star in straight sets to lead Team USA for their second consecutive United Cup victory, handing Poland their second consecutive runner-up. She repeated her feat from the Riyadh finals by outclassing Swiatek for the second straight time at the group event. Seeing her improved success rate against the Pole, who has won 11 of their 13 clashes, American commentator Steve Weissman asserted, “Coco Gauff has totally changed the dynamic in her rivalry with Iga Swiatek. Coco is coming for the #1 ranking this year.”

Gauff possesses the experience of summiting the WTA rankings, having achieved the pinnacle of doubles success in 2022. Now, her sights are firmly set on conquering the singles rankings. In 2024, she made a significant stride towards this goal, reaching a career-high of World No. 2 on June 10th. While a substantial gap of nearly 4,000 points separated her from the then-World No. 1, Iga Swiatek, Gauff has narrowed that distance, ending the season ranked No. 3 and poised closer than ever before to ascend to the top spot.

As a matter of fact, the young talent did not drop a set in five singles matches at the United Cup. And following her nation’s victory in Perth, she addressed fans with a candid admission.

“hard to beat” Coco Gauff delivers positive insight at the United Cup

American superstar Coco Gauff, although took a step back in 2024, bounced back twice as hard in the concluding half of the previous season. After Gauff’s electrifying 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Swiatek ignited the crowd at Ken Rosewall Arena, Fritz continued the momentum with a dramatic 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(4) victory against Hurkacz. The match was a serve-dominated battle, featuring a barrage of aces – 30 in total – and limited opportunities for breaks, as highlighted by Infosys ATP Stats.

During an on-court interview, Gauff addressed the Perth crowd saying: “I have the belief that I’m one of the best players in the world and when I play good tennis I’m hard to beat,” Gauff said. “Today I think I played some great tennis. I’m glad I was able to get a point for Team USA. It was tough today, I’m not gonna lie.”

Taylor Fritz, currently holding a career-high ranking of No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings, experienced a minor setback early on, losing his opening match to Felix Auger-Aliassime in Perth. However, he quickly rebounded, embarking on a four-match winning streak to regain momentum. Coco Gauff, who enjoyed a dominant start to the year with five consecutive singles victories without dropping a set, begins 2025 ranked No. 3 in the PIF WTA Rankings.