Coco Gauff is grinding out wins despite not playing at her best ahead of the Aussie Open
The Australian Open has been put on notice as women’s singles US Open champion Coco Gauff retained her ASB Classic title.
American tennis star Coco Gauff has sent her Australian Open rivals a warning, claiming she wasn’t even at her best as she secured victory at the Grand Slam tune-up, the ASB Classic. Gauff, 19, is looking to start 2024 how she ended 2023 by clinching another Grand Slam, building on from last year’s US Open triumph.
Instead of recharging, Gauff hit the practice courts in Florida to maintain momentum heading into the New Year and it paid dividends for the most part in New Zealand. Gauff didn’t drop a single set in her first four matches.
The Final against veteran Elina Svitolina, however, proved to be tough, as the teenager dropped the first set tiebreak before raising her performance levels to clinch the next two sets. Gauff’s victory puts her in good standing for this month’s Grand Slam Down Under. Iga Swiatek is the favourite with the bookies but Gauff isn’t too far behind and the win over Svitolina proved she can win even when she’s not at her best.
The Final against veteran Elina Svitolina, however, proved to be tough, as the teenager dropped the first set tiebreak before raising her performance levels to clinch the next two sets. Gauff’s victory puts her in good standing for this month’s Grand Slam Down Under. Iga Swiatek is the favourite with the bookies but Gauff isn’t too far behind and the win over Svitolina proved she can win even when she’s not at her best.
Gauff could also have one less teenage sensation to worry about by the time the tournament kicks off. Brit Emma Raducanu, also a former US Open singles champion, pulled out of a final warm-up match amid new doubts about her fitness. Raducanu played at the ASB Classic and was scheduled to face fellow Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka in a charity match at Melbourne Park on Tuesday night.
However, the match was thrown up in the air after Osaka pulled out as a “precautionary measure”. Donna Vekic was announced as a replacement but Raducanu withdrew not long after. Sources told Daily Express Sport that the team are simply managing Raducanu’s return after nearly nine months out.
“I feel reborn in a way. I feel fresh, ready, happy, excited. Overall I’m feeling positive and lighter. I actually think I’m a better tennis player than I was before the break. In practice over the last few weeks I’m hitting the ball really well,” Raducanu said following a return win over Elena-Gabriela Ruse. “Physically I’m pushing things that I wasn’t doing before. In my body I actually have confidence, which is really nice and tennis-wise I feel good, too. It was so hard, especially the first few months.
When you’re so used to being active and moving around all the time, then to all of a sudden have everything just cut off from you. I had two wrists and one foot injured, so I couldn’t even use crutches. It was difficult being that immobile. But it reignited the fire to get back out there competing.”
