TENNIS
Boris Becker says Gauff can be a “superstar” ahead of the US Open
The American, who is only 19, is expected to become a huge force in the WTA Tour, especially after her latest performances.
Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and... Cori Gauff? While the Polish and the Belarusian players have become the two biggest icons in the women’s category, there could be a third name joining them very soon, according to the living legend Boris Becker.
Swiatek is the woman to beat in the US Open, as she won the event’s last edition, and she will be looking for her fifth Grand Slam trophy. Sabalenka won this year’s Australian Open and will be one of the favorites to go all the way on her favorite surface.
Gauff hasn’t won any majors yet, but she was very close to doing so last year, when she reached the French Open final, ultimately losing to Swiatek.
The Florida native, 19, is probably playing the best tennis of her young career right now, as she won the Washington Open at the start of August and defeated Swiatek before lifting her first WTA Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati last weekend.
Gauff, a “superstar” that could win the US Open
Gauff’s good moment hasn’t gone unnoticed by the six-time major winner Boris Becker. The youngest-ever winner of the gentlemen’s singles Wimbledon Championships title believes Gauff has a lot of potential and could extend her “breakthrough” moment in the US Open.
“This summer, now on the American hard courts, she won the tournament in Washington and beat the world number one Swiatek for the first time in the semi-finals in Cincinnati to win the final against [Karolina] Muchova”, he said.
“In this respect, I call this a breakthrough, it can be compared to [Jannik] Sinner, and now she is also in the tight circle of the absolute top favorites for the US Open, and that is nice for the scene”, Becker added.
“She is a great personality with a lot of charisma. She comes from America, which is the promised land of tennis with the most big tournaments. The women’s scene needs a superstar, and I’ll say Coco Gauff is one”, he continued.
Besides Swiatek and Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Marketa Vondrousova, Karolina Muchova, and Ons Jabeur are some of the names that Gauff will have to deal with in New York if she wants to make history and become the US Open champion.