Former Serena Williams coach makes ridiculous Coco Gauff prediction
Rick Macci puts a number to Gauff's potential Grand Slam victories.
By Lee Vowell
Coco Gauff appears to be becoming a more divisive player every time she makes another deep run in a Grand Slam. She has recently moved back to No. 3 on the WTA after making the semifinals at the Australian Open, but on her run to the semis, one tennis pundit called her performances "extremely poor." Playing badly and still winning? Most of us would take that.
Though Gauff is only 19 years old, it seems as if she has been playing professional tennis for a decade already. Since she has been participating in tournaments since 2018, her winning just one major so far almost makes it appear as if she is underperforming. It is easy to forget how old she really is.
Gauff also likely has not yet scratched the surface of how good she can be technically. She often wins matches because of her athleticism, though she is also capable of great tennis. Her ability to chase down balls consistently wears her opponents out mentally even though Gauff is doing all the running. Once she completely combines her athletic ability with her tennis acumen, she will be extremely difficult to defeat.
Coco Gauff could win "double digit" Grand Slams says one coach
In fact, former Serena Williams coach, Rick Macci, believes Gauff's victory at the 2023 US Open is just the beginning of a large number of major wins. How many? According to Macci, the number is in the "double digits." Plus, Macci tweeted that Gauff will win a Grand Slam on every surface.
Was Macci simply being hyperbolic while speaking to NBC about the Australian Open? Maybe. But he also knows what he speaks. After all, Macci coached a young Serena Williams when Williams went to Macci's academy in the 1990s. Macci knows young talent when he sees it.
Gauff needs to learn some consistency now, however. She struggled for much of 2023 prior to August. But after winning the US Open and making the semifinals at the Australian Open, Gauff might be getting into the kind of form that gets her multiple Grand Slams in 2024.
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