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When Coco Gauff won her first major tournament at the US Open in September, it was not a surprising result. Despite being only 19 years old, Gauff has been considered the next top female tennis player from America for a few years now. In 2018, she was ranked as the best junior player in the world. With her impressive athleticism, powerful serve, and focused attitude on the court, it was expected that she would live up to her great potential at a young age.
However, it remains to be seen if her win at the Open will catapult her into a streak of dominating the slams. While it is possible for Gauff to follow in the footsteps of world No 1 Iga Świątek and be a contender at every slam she competes in, it’s important to note that numerous notable champions in the Open era did not immediately rack up multiple major titles.
Many notable athletes, such as Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert, Björn Borg, Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe, and Steffi Graf, have achieved great success after winning their first major tournament. However, it is not uncommon for it to take some time for players to establish themselves as dominant forces in these prestigious events.
Serena Williams, who was Gauff’s childhood role model, was the last American teenager to win the US Open before Gauff’s victory. However, after her shocking win over her sister Venus in 1999, Williams struggled in major events. It wasn’t until three years later at the 2002 French Open, which happened to be her least successful surface, that Williams won her second major title. From then on, Williams dominated at the majors and never went consecutive seasons without winning a slam until 2017. Now, she is often mentioned alongside other legendary players such as Helen Wills Moody, Graf, and Navratilova as one of the greatest women’s players of all time.
At the age of 19, Pete Sampras burst onto the tennis scene at the 1990 US Open as an unheralded 12th seed. At the time, he was only known to die-hard tennis fans and was not well-known to the general public. However, he quickly became a household name with his powerful serving and all-court playing style, defeating top players such as Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, and Andre Agassi to win the title. Despite this initial success, Sampras struggled with motivation in the following years and was unable to replicate his winning ways. However, he found his stride once again at Wimbledon in 1993 and went on to win a total of 13 major titles over the next decade. After his retirement, it seemed that no one could match his record of 14 Grand Slam titles. However, the “Big Three” of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic emerged as dominant forces in tennis, surpassing Sampras’ achievements.
When discussing the top three players in tennis, it is impossible to ignore Djokovic’s success in winning major titles. However, in the early stages of his career, after winning his first major at the Australian Open in 2008, Djokovic struggled to perform well at other slam tournaments. This was due to his perceived lack of endurance and ability to handle pressure against top opponents, particularly his rivals Federer and Nadal. But three years later, Djokovic claimed his second slam victory at the 2011 Australian Open and has since become one of the most dominant players in the sport, winning a total of 23 majors since his first win in Australia 16 years ago. While Djokovic and Sampras have different playing styles, they both had to learn how to balance their natural talent with mental and emotional strength in order to achieve success.
It is undeniable that Gauff possesses a diverse set of skills that could lead to a successful career in tennis, potentially winning multiple Grand Slam titles. Her impressive first serve, precise backhand, quickness on the court, and strategic shot selection, combined with her strong family support and down-to-earth personality, have helped her avoid common pitfalls that often come with early fame, such as burnout.
The primary concern for Gauff has always been her forehand, which she executes with a strong western grip and is susceptible to mistakes. However, as with many champions, determination is a crucial characteristic and as long as Gauff continues to succeed, she is unlikely to make major adjustments to her forehand.
Of course, the not-so-wild card that Gauff possesses is her coach: Brad Gilbert. Having worked together only a short time before her New York triumph, it’s clear that Gilbert has instilled in Gauff a higher level of confidence that was previously missing. This is something that Gilbert also accomplished with Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray.
Gauff looks poised to make a solid run at consecutive slam titles when the Australian Open commences on Monday morning in Melbourne (Sunday evening in the United States). With her first ever title defense in Auckland this past weekend, she is playing into form at just the right time. It’d be to the benefit of tennis fans if Gauff and Świątek end up on opposite sides of the draw, with a chance to meet in the final. And with it, perhaps kick-start what would be a much-needed rivalry in women’s tennis.
