“Sign of a Champion”: Tennis Legend Heaps Praise on Coco Gauff After a Tough Win Over Caroline Garcia at Indian Wells 2021

When Coco Gauff rose to prominence after defeating Venus Williams at the Wimbledon Championships two years ago, there were initial doubts that she could be a one-time wonder. But, Gauff has pulled off incredible victories consistently since 2019 against top stars like Aryna Sabalenka, Maria Sakkari, Naomi Osaka, and others.

Coco Gauff is having a great run at Indian Wells 2021 so far

At the on-going Indian Wells event, the American faced stiff competition from the French player Caroline Garcia. Having won the first set comprehensively, Gauff was forced to take a backseat in the second by Garcia as the latter won it in a tie-breaker.

However, it was Gauff who took the match from Garcia in the decider as she won her maiden Indian Wells singles match in three sets, 6-3,6-7,6-1.

The American faces Paula Badosa next. After her singles encounter, Gauff paired up with Leylah Fernandez in doubles to defeat no.5 seeds Demi Schuurs and Nicole Melichar-Martinez in the pre-quarters.

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Former tennis players Andy Roddick, Chanda Rubin, and Martina Navratilova discussed the match for Tennis Channel. Martina praised Gauff’s perseverance to close out her singles match against Caroline Garcia.

“She just played her best tennis when it mattered” – Navratilova on Gauff’s victory over Garcia at Indian Wells

Navratilova lauded the American’s adjustment to the conditions and deemed her a champion player.

“That was the sign of a champion. The conditions were really difficult. Between the shadow going across the court, and Garcia was kind of up and down. Coco just couldn’t get the momentum going. But, she just played her best tennis when it mattered. That’s the sign of a champion, when you win, not playing your best tennis,” expressed Navratilova.

Even though Coco Gauff is yet to make her mark at the majors, the youngster’s composition on and off the court will make her reach a slam final one day.

With an all-round game at her disposal, Gauff has garnered the respect and attention of tennis fans in Indian Wells as both her singles and doubles matches have been packed houses so far.

Also read: “A Bit Overwhelming”: Coco Gauff Gives Practical Off-Court Advice to Emma Raducanu Ahead of Indian Wells 2021