Will Coco Gauff click? Can he have a big Australian Open? Jonathan Overend believes the world No.3 can lift the title in Melbourne | Tennis News

Will Coco Gauff click? Jonathan Overend believes the American world No 3 can have a big Australian Open and lift the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in Melbourne.

Gauff, who opens her campaign against 55th-ranked Uzbek Kamilla Rakhimova on Monday, will bring plenty to the table after winning the French Open last year, her second major title after the US Open in 2023.

But the tough 21-year-old knows that the next step is to deliver consistently high-quality games as he aims to solve ongoing problems with his forehand and work on his second with the help of a biomechanics coach.

The 21-year-old comes off the back of the United Cup, where he won three of four games to help the United States reach the semi-finals of the mixed team competition.

However, his performance remains a concern and he continues to produce a lot of double faults. The American has 28 so far this year.

“I want to do my best in each game,” he said. “I feel like that’s because of my service, having good days and really bad days. If that disease changes, my results will always be the same.”

The American could meet Venus Williams in the second round of the Australian Open although the seven-time Grand Slam winner is ranked 576 in the world due to her limited time on tour.

They started playing together when Gauff was 15 at Wimbledon. A 6-4 6-4 victory saw the youngster announce to the world.

But Gauff now has world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No 2 Iga Swiatek in his sights as he looks to be a major contender at the top of the rankings.

Can Gauff solve his technical problems?

Sky Sports Commentator Jonathan Overend admits he is “infatuated” with Gauff and firmly believes he can solve his technical problems under long-time coach Jean-Christophe ‘JC’ Faurel and Gavin MacMillan – hired to fix his career.

“Coco Gauff’s story is still going on and that is because according to my firm belief he will solve these technical problems that have kept the conversation going for the past few years,” said Ovend.

“No Gauff game goes by without talking about his second meal or his front and it’s inevitable and understandable because it’s there for everyone to see.

“But I firmly believe it’s a matter of if he gets it right – not if he gets it right.

“The idea of ​​Gauff continuing his entire career without finding a solution to two key areas of the game is unimaginable in my mind. I’ll click!

“He’s faced challenges and overcome adversity throughout his life. If it happens, oh my God, what a player we’re going to have and it could be this year. That’s something that makes Gauff very happy.

“He won two Grand Slams and became a strong player with two major technical weaknesses and the excitement should drive him when solutions are found and the answer in my mind is the world No. 1.

“Maybe not this year but can he have a big Australian Open? Absolutely, he can.

“He’s already won the French Open and the US Open in his career and he can do it again. That leaves Wimbledon and the grass courts. Let’s see if he wins all four majors during his career.”

‘Wimbledon is his biggest challenge’

Ovend feels that Wimbledon will be a significant obstacle for Gauff because of his style of play and the nature of the fast courts at the All-England Club.

He said: “Wimbledon is going to be a huge challenge because of the way the ball rolls on the ground, it’s flat, it swings in front and it gives him a little time to react and the shot needs to be fine-tuned, so that’s a problem.

“We’re going back to where he’s going to find a way one day. He’s not going to stand on the court at Wimbledon his whole career and still think it’s the right way to play that shot.

“Where did Coco Gauff’s big break happen? When she was 15 and she beat Venus Williams and got into the round of 16 – it was at Wimbledon! It’s funny how it goes.

“The Slam, which is considered to be the most fragile, is the one where the biggest blow happened, so he must believe that one day it will come together and when it does come together, it will be scary because this is a player who may dominate and be Sabalenka’s biggest rival this year.

The young American’s rise to Grand Slam glory

Gauff became the first American teenager to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 1999.

Already renowned for a level of maturity rarely seen in someone so young, Gauff delivered one of the most successful speeches of 2023 following her upset victory over Aryna Sabalenka – silencing doubters who said a Grand Slam title would never come.

“I’ve tried my best to handle this with kindness and I was doing my best to be honest, for those who thought you were putting water on my fire, putting gas on it. Now I’m really burning up right now,” she said.

In her build-up she had won the WTA 500 level title in Washington – which she backed up with the prestigious WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati – before her Flushing Meadows success.

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