American tennis legend feels comparison with Serena Williams has been hampering Coco Gauff’s performances on-court

Coco Gauff has one Grand Slam to her name, but she has a long way to go to catch Serena Williams' tally of 23 major titles.


American tennis legend feels comparison with Serena Williams has been hampering Coco Gauff’s performances on-court

Coco Gauff and Serena Williams (Via Imago)

Tennis legend John McEnroe has downplayed comparisons between Coco Gauff and the Williams sisters. Gauff entered the US Open as the defending champion, marking the first time she has appeared in any major with that status.

However, McEnroe believes that Gauff still has a long way to go to match the legacy of the Williams sisters. The former left-handed player likened this comparison to the one between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.

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Gauff achieved the biggest title of her career last year when she defeated Aryna Sabalenka to win the US Open. However, what sets her apart from the iconic Williams sisters is that they consistently won Grand Slam titles.

There’s a lot of hope for her. I compare her a bit to Alcaraz when people say he’s going to beat Djokovic’s record when he has four and Novak has 24. I put Coco in the same position as the Williams sisters, people say: ‘She’s the next American hopeful, of course she’s going to get 20 majors like Serena’, that’s what you call putting pressure on someone. Coco Gauff is asked to do a lot and I think she’s felt the pressure at times. She’s been through a tough time recently – it’s tough going from clay to grass and back to clay.
John McEnroe said on EuroSport

The good news is that Gauff is only 20 years old and has a long career ahead of her. Considering she has already become the USA’s Olympic flag bearer, this achievement should give her a significant confidence boost in upcoming tournaments and seasons.

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Coco Gauff advances to the third round at the US Open

Defending champion Coco Gauff advanced to the third round of the US Open with a straight-set victory over Tatjana Maria on Wednesday (August 28) night. Playing at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the No. 3 seed from the United States won 6-4, 6-0. The match took just 80 minutes.

Coco Gauff US Open
Coco Gauff (via X)

Gauff, who had previously beaten Maria in the 2023 Auckland title, overcame a challenging start. She then won seven games in a row to secure the match. The American hit 25 winners, more than double of Maria’s 12, and also broke her serve five times while losing hers only once.

This win gives Gauff her fifth 6-0 set at a Grand Slam event this year. She also achieved a 6-0 set in her first-round victory over Varvara Gracheva on Monday. The 20-year-old has now won nine straight matches at the US Open.

Gauff’s victory over the 99th-ranked Maria continues her streak against lower-ranked players. She has won her last 29 matches against opponents ranked outside the Top 50. Her last loss to a player ranked below No. 50 was against Sofia Kenin at Wimbledon last year.

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