Andy Murray’s former coach puts Coco Gauff ahead of Steffi Graf to name her as the ‘best women’s athlete to ever play tennis’ following the teenager’s historic US Open title

Mark Petchey talked about Coco Gauff in a recent podcast appearance.

Andy Murray’s former coach puts Coco Gauff ahead of Steffi Graf to name her as the ‘best women’s athlete to ever play tennis’ following the teenager’s historic US Open title

Coco Gauff (Image via: ESPN)

At the age of nineteen, tennis player Coco Gauff won her first ever Grand Slam at the 2023 US Open, becoming the third American teenager to achieve this feat after Tracy Austin in 1979 and Serena Williams in 1999. Mark Petchey, who has coached former World No. 1 Andy Murray in the past, heaped praise on the teenager.

Petchey, who happens to be a former tennis player himself, coached British tennis professional Andy Murray in the past. He later worked as a tennis commentator and analyst for several big organizations, including ITV, the BBC, The Tennis Channel, and Tennis Australia. He recently made a return to the podcast by Tennis Channel Inside-In to provide a review of the recently concluded Laver Cup in Vancouver.

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Petchey discussed the Laver Cup, which saw Team Europe lose to Team World for the second time in a row. The 53-year-old also discussed American tennis sensation Coco Gauff’s career and further talked about what people can expect when she makes a return to the court at the China Open following her successful run at the US Open earlier this month.

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“I don’t think we’ve seen a better athlete in women’s tennis,” the 53-year-old claimed while talking about the young sensation. “You cannot tell me, the tennis — even when Steffi Graf was around, who I think, in my mind, was the second greatest female women’s tennis player athlete of all time — you can’t tell me that the sport was played at the same speed back then than it is now,” Mark Petchey further added.

For context, with a Grand Slam title count of 22 Majors, Stefi Graff is one of the most influential players in tennis.

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The dominance of Coco Gauff

Following her historic win at the 2023 US Open, Coco Gauff has played a total of 19 matches, of which she has lost only one. The 19-year-old won the Citi Open in Washington. At the Cincinnati Open, she defeated then-World No. 1, Iga Swiatek, for the first time in her career after losing to her seven times before their encounter.

Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff (Credits: ABC News)

Gauff also won her first-ever title at the US Open, defeating the current World No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, following a thrilling clash in the finals. The teen is currently ranked No. 3 in the world.

Mark Petchey put the 19-year-old above Steffi Graf, who holds the crown for spending the most weeks (377), at the top of the WTA Rankings list. Several other players and tennis enthusiasts have expressed big hopes for the American in recent times following her US Open stint.

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