"Can't stand how cocky Coco Gauff got"; "Insufferable" - Iga Swiatek fans slam American for latest comment on Pole ahead of United Cup final
Coco Gauff calling herself a 'hard' opponent to Iga Swiatek and others on the WTA Tour has sparked angry reactions from fans of the Pole. They have opined that the American star has been acting 'cocky' in recent times.
Gauff was instrumental in helping Team USA reach their second final of the United Cup with a scintillating 6-1, 6-4 win over Karolina Muchova, following which Thomas Machac's mid-match retirement against Taylor Fritz helped them clinch the tie. The World No. 3 has been in great form since the Asian swing of 2024.
During the post-tie press conference, Gauff was asked what she would be taking away from her win against Iga Swiatek at the 2024 WTA Finals to help her in the United Cup final against Poland. The 20-year-old said when she was confident, she was a 'hard' opponent for anyone on the tour, including the former World No. 1.
"I think just confidence. I was very confident in Riyadh. Yeah, I think when I'm playing confident tennis, that's my best tennis. It makes it hard for her or anyone to really do anything. So tomorrow I'm just going to go out there and be confident," Coco Gauff said.
However, these comments didn't sit well with Swiatek's fans. One found Coco Gauff 'cocky.'
"I honestly cannot stand how cocky Coco got recently," the fan said.
Another fan wished to see their idol dominate the 'insufferable' American.
"Hope Iga sees this and steamrolls her tomorrow. Not sure what happened to Coco, but she’s been insufferable lately," the fan hoped.
Here are some other reactions from Swiatek fans:
"If and when she wins a 2nd Slam she will get even more unbearable," a fan feared.
"Not her acting like she double bageled her or that she's 11-2 v Iga, not the other way around," a fan quipped.
Some fans defended Coco Gauff's comments and felt that people were trying to paint the American as the villain.
"Well tbh that's the correct attitude we expect from players. She can't say I'm scared of her or I was lucky. So I don't think nothing wrong in her speech," a fan felt.
"This is building senseless animosity towards Coco. Instead of focusing on rooting for Iga, you focus on being spiteful towards Coco. This is already the pavvyg style of behavior," a fan opined.
Coco Gauff has had somewhat of a love-hate relationship with tennis fans, who often express their displeasure at the American for addressing her haters.
"Excited to go out there and bring the United Cup back home" - Coco Gauff on playing Iga Swiatek in final
During her press conference, Coco Gauff said she was confident that she and Iga Swiatek would put on high-quality tennis during their match in the final of the United Cup. She also expressed her desire to bring the cup home to the USA, who were the inaugural champions of the event.
"Yeah, I'm feeling great. I felt like I was playing good today. Obviously Iga is a tough opponent. I don't know. I haven't thought about it too much yet. But yeah, I think it's going to be a great level of tennis and super excited to go out there tomorrow and hopefully bring the Cup back home," Gauff said.
On the other hand, Swiatek and Team Poland lost to Team Germany in the summit clash last year. The Pole is looking to win her first big event with Poland after a bunch of heartbreaks like the one at the 2024 Paris Olympics.