Gauff: Raducanu has shown me anybody can win
Coco Gauff, the 18-year-old American sensation, said she had taken inspiration from September’s freakish US Open as she surged into the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.
Since announcing herself three years ago by ambushing Venus Williams at Wimbledon, Gauff has played 11 grand slams, but has yet to reach a semi-final. However, her whole mindset has changed, she said, since seeing Emma Raducanu lift the trophy in New York.
“If the US Open taught us anything, anybody can win on any day,” Gauff said after ousting Elise Mertens by a comfortable 6-4, 6-0 margin. “I think all players should really be going into the match thinking about that.
“We just have to take a step back, especially in the grand slams, and not look at rankings any more.”
Gauff is now the highest-ranked player in the bottom half of this French Open draw at No23 in the world.
She added: “Here, with the exception of Iga [Swiatek, the world No 1], there is a lot of lower-seeded and lower-ranked players still left in the tournament. So, I really think that players believe that [anyone can win]. I think a lot of it stems from that tournament [the US Open].”
Against Mertens yesterday, Gauff delivered a smooth and varied game with no obvious weak spots – especially during a second set in which she committed only two unforced errors. She could yet take advantage of a tournament that now features only one top-10 player – the superconsistent Swiatek – to land her own first major title.
Attending her press conference in a stylish bucket hat, Gauff agreed that she was feeling more relaxed than at any previous grand-slam event. “I definitely think that’s true,” she said. “I think just from having those tough losses in the past and I made the second week a lot of times. I really am just enjoying the tournament, enjoying life.”
Gauff had received a message of congratulations from former first lady Michelle Obama on Friday – not for her tennis accomplishments, but for graduating from high school via a series of remote courses.
“I’m not thinking about the end result. I’m just enjoying the match ahead of me and whatever happens, it’s out of my control,” Gauff said.