“John McEnroe Anticipates a Major Triumph for Coco Gauff in the Next Decade, Despite Swiatek’s Cautionary Note.”

John McEnroe shared his high expectations for Coco Gauff, identifying her as the primary contender against Iga Swiatek for winning more Grand Slam titles over the next decade. The 7-times Grand Slam champion stated that Swiatek would pose a tough challenge for Gauff, but he hopes that the American can secure multiple Slam victories.

Gauff, the most recent Grand Slam champion after clinching the 2023 US Open title, is the 4th seed in the upcoming Australian Open. This puts her behind Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina, who took the third spot just a week ago.

Winding back the clock to when @CocoGauff upset @naomiosaka at only 15 years of age 😲@ROLEX counting down to more timeless moments ⌚#Rolex #AOcountdown pic.twitter.com/6knOpfwdoG

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 13, 2024

Expectations for Coco Gauff
Speaking on Eurosport, McEnroe emphasized Gauff’s excellent physical condition compared to her rivals: “She [Gauff] is not as big as [Elena] Rybakina, [Aryna] Sabalenka, or [Iga] Swiatek, but she’s extremely athletic the way [Carlos] Alcaraz is. I expect her to win more majors,” McEnroe said. “It can be done. She is in a good place mentally and has added pieces to her team recently, like Brad Gilbert, who knows what it takes.”

“I expect big things from her and she’s still young. Over the next 10 years I would be surprised if she doesn’t win a bunch of majors,” he added. “Soon there will be more younger players to add to the mix. I think Swiatek has done a great job at keeping up her level for so long now so it will be really hard for Coco to get close to her ranking any time soon though.”

Gauff’s stellar kickoff to 2024
The 19-year-old prodigy has kicked off 2023 in impressive form, successfully defending her ASB Classic title. Gauff smoothly progressed to the final with victories over Claire Liu (6-4, 6-2), Brenda Fruhvirtova (6-3, 6-0), 8th seed Varvara Gracheva (6-1, 6-1), and 4th seed Emma Navarro (6-3, 6-1). In the final, she overcame a set deficit to defeat the second seed Elina Svitolina (6-7, 6-3, 6-3).

Now, Gauff has one final day to prepare for her debut at the Aussie Open. In the first round, she will face Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (No. 68). The young American is defending the fourth-round achievement from last year, providing her with a good opportunity to earn points and challenge Elena Rybakina’s third-place position, as Rybakina faces the challenging task of defending her 2023 final.