Coco Gauff serves to Katerina Siniakova of Czech Republic during the Qatar Open in Doha. | Photo Credit: AP
19-year-old Coco Gauff is preparing for the upcoming tennis season, most notably the 2024 Australian Open beginning in mid-January. The 2023 US Open champion opens the year as the World No. 3 player, her highest singles ranking to date. One thing is certain; Gauff will want to play better in Melbourne this year after suffering a first-round loss at the 2023 Australian Open.
Gauff is open to new training strategies to make her a better player. This was evidenced by a recent hitting session in which her left eye was covered with a patch. It is worth noting that she was striking the ball powerfully with just one eye.
For those wondering if there is something wrong with her eye that necessitates the eye patch, there is a video from later in the same session when Gauff is not wearing the patch.
What Coco Gauff is doing without the patch
Coco Gauff playing with an eye patch 🏴☠️
New training tactic? 😂 pic.twitter.com/hIMvnZ0U7I
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) December 20, 2023
Gauff is showing her prowess at the flexibility challenge Novak Djokovic recently started on social media. The move requires balance, agility, and flexibility. It would be something that a yogi or ballet dancer would be expected to master, but both Djokovic and Gauff demonstrate that tennis players can do it too.
Coco Gauff doing Novak Djokovic’s flexibility challenge 🤸🏿♀️ pic.twitter.com/F6dK0PmJqk
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) December 20, 2023
Gauff is all smiles, as she should be. She is the top-earning female athlete in 2023. Seven of the top ten women are tennis players. Gauff narrowly edged out World No. 1 Iga Swiatek who finished second. Her doubles partner and friend, Jessica Pegula, is the other American tennis star in the top ten.
Pegula hinted at the WTA Finals that we could be seeing less of their doubles play in the latter half of 2024. Playing the Paris Olympics together is a goal for the pair, and they will start their bid for the US Olympic team in women’s doubles in Australia.
