“I like the way she plays” Rafael Nadal points out the missing piece that’s stopping Coco Gauff from being a ‘multi-Grand Slam winner’
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Coco Gauff and Rafael Nadal
22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal booked his spot in the third round of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships with a 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win over Ricardas Berankis. The win takes Rafa into the 3rd round for the 11th time in his 15th appearance at the tournament as he returns to the historic venue for the first time since 2019.
Nadal comes into the Championships directly from the 2022 French Open where he emerged champion for the 14th time and extended his lead to 22 majors in men’s singles. After Nadal’s win on Center Court, the final match for the day was played between Coco Gauff, runner-up at this year’s French Open in both singles and doubles events, and Mihaela Buzarnescu with the American teenager claiming the win in straight-sets.
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“She fights for every ball”: Rafael Nadal on Coco Gauff
Gauff was up against Iga Swiatek in the finals of the French Open and like many of her colleagues, she could not match up to the Pole who won her 35th consecutive match by winning the finals of the French Open and picking her second Roland Garros title which is also her second major. Nevertheless, Gauff did impress Nadal with her run to the finals and deservingly got praised for it.
“She didn’t win a Slam yet but she has started very early. I like the way she talks to the crowd and the press at the end of the matches. She’s fresh and she’s looking very mature in her thoughts. She is a fighter. I like the way she plays. She fights for every ball, even sometimes when she is not playing with that ball she keeps fighting till the end running for the ball. I think if she is able to improve just a little bit with the physical abilities she has, probably she will be a multi-Grand Slam winner,” said Nadal in his post-match press conference.
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Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)