Andy Roddick raves about Coco Gauff and suggests one area she may already be one of the best of all time
Andy Roddick has been one of Coco Gauff’s biggest fans for as long as she has been on the WTA Tour.
In all honesty, it’s hard not to be.
Her story is one that has captivated audiences for nearly a decade now, and will hopefully continue to do so for many, many years to come.
However, with such fanfare comes great expectation, and not long after Billie Jean King heaped pressure on Gauff, Andy Roddick has now offered his own gargantuan praise.
The difference between these claims from these American tennis legends is the fact that, with the latter, he might be right.
Andy Roddick says Coco Gauff might already be the GOAT in key area
Speaking on his Served with Andy Roddick podcast, the former US Open champion, who was the last American male to win any major title, was effusive in his praise for Coco Gauff after watching her dismantle the in-form Iva Jovic.
“I am telling you, Coco tonight,” he began. “I felt like Jovic played pretty well, but when Coco has her serve right, she always breaks and I think it frees her up from the baseline a bit.
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“The amount of ground she was covering, Jovic was hitting five, six or seven quality shots per point and then sometimes losing them.
“That is demoralising when you are a player. She is shrinking the court to where you are only hitting a winner if you are bringing a ball within inches of the line.”
Roddick then made a string of big claims about Gauff, particularly regarding her movement.
He added: “I thought it was a masterful performance from her tonight. I think her tennis IQ, when to run to spots, anticipate. Her movement is the best in women’s tennis. I want to be more responsible with thought in this, but my mind goes to where she stacks up over all time in terms of her movement.
“Even if she leaves a forehand short and you are inside the court, and you go to the backhand, she can still bruise you because it’s on your shoe tops and you are backing up again.
“She is really good at going from full defence to striking once and then being able to find offence. She is really good at recognising when the tide turns at that point.
“I think she is going to get past Mirra and I’m a massive fan of Mirra, I think the world of her game, but I think Coco looks phenomenal right now.”
Gauff has already previewed her upcoming clash with Andreeva, in yet another battle where she will have to overcome a hugely talented teenager.
An incredible quarter-final lineup in the women’s US Open
Whilst there are fears over the relative entertainment that the men’s draw might provide, the women’s is in safe hands.
After all, their final eight boasts an absolutely stacked lineup, brimming with talent and tantalising match-ups.
Gauff’s clash with Andreeva is the headline clash, but Aryna Sabalenka’s match against Linda Noskova promises to be a thriller too, which could go either way.
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Meanwhile, there’s an all-American showdown occurring in today’s night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium, as the number three seed Jessica Pegula faces Emma Navarro.
And finally, fresh from her stunning win over Iga Swiatek, Qinwen Zheng will be hoping to stop Elena Rybakina from becoming the new world number one, who is just one win away from taking the title from Sabalenka.
This means that, across the four quarter-finals, the entire top six are present, five of whom are Grand Slam champions, seven of whom are Grand Slam finalists, and all of whom are Grand Slam semi-finalists.
