"Coco Gauff has so many qualities that resemble a male player; you see something special" - Ben Shelton on people's love for reigning US Open champion
Ben Shelton opened up about people's love for compatriot Coco Gauff. According to Shelton, one of the reasons for Gauff being admired by many is her athletic abilities, which, in Shelton's eyes, resemble those of a male player.
Shelton is making his third US Open main draw appearance this year, and he started his campaign with a dominant 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win over former champion Dominic Thiem on Monday, August 26. The 21-year-old is set to face Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut next in the second round of the hardcourt Major.
Following his emphatic victory against Thiem, Shelton attended a press conference. During the presser, a reporter asked the ATP World No. 13 about the reigning US Open women's singles champion, Coco Gauff. The question revolved around people's admiration for Gauff, and what Shelton believes is the reason behind it.
In his response, the 2023 US Open men's singles semifinalist cited multiple reasons, with the first one being Gauff's first name.
"I think first of all, the name is Coco, right? It's something that sticks in your mind. I mean, shout-out to Corey and Candi Gauff (Gauff's parents), because I think the name is half of it. It's a name that you remember," Shelton said.
The 21-year-old went on to hail Gauff's athleticism, suggesting that it is similar to that of male players.
"Then, yeah, she's charismatic, such a great athlete, so many qualities out there on the court that, you know, resemble a male player, the way that she moves, the way that she can defend. You just see something from her that's special and different," Shelton added.
Last but not least, Shelton acknowledged the WTA World No. 3's "passion" for tennis.
"Then obviously she plays with a lot of passion. You could tell that she cares out there. She's into it every time that she's on the court. I think that's something that the people love," Shelton concluded.
Coco Gauff off to a winning start to her US Open title defense
Gauff has come into the 2024 US Open on the back of successive disappointing campaigns across the Paris Olympics, the National Bank Open in Toronto, and the Cincinnati Open. However, those dismal outings didn't seem to affect the defending champion too much at Flushing Meadows as she made short work of Frenchwoman Varvara Gracheva in the first round.
The 20-year-old was devastating with her serve, hitting ten aces throughout the one-sided contest. Gauff also broke Gracheva's serve twice, and wrapped up the contest 6-2, 6-0 in only 66 minutes, winning the last nine games in a row.
Next up for the No. 3 seed is 37-year-old German Tatjana Maria in the second round. The pair's only previous meeting on the WTA Tour came in the first round of the 2023 ASB Classic in Auckland, which Gauff won 6-4, 6-1.