"I have to try to be objective" - Andy Roddick rules out Coco Gauff defending US Open title despite his 'bias,' predicts American won't reach QF
Andy Roddick has ruled out the possibility of Coco Gauff successfully defending her US Open title. The former World No. 1 expressed his belief that Gauff will be held back by her struggle to find her best form, which will allow her opponents to gain the upper hand.
Gauff won her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open last year, capping off her exceptional North American swing that included triumphs at the Citi Open and the Cincinnati Open. In contrast, the World No. 3 is entering her title defense at her home Slam with concerns lingering over her form, having suffered early exits at both the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open in the lead-up to the New York Major.
On the latest episode of the 'Served with Andy Roddick' podcast, the former World No. 1 and tennis journalist Jon Wertheim broke down the US Open women's draw and revealed their picks.
While discussing No. 3 seed Coco Gauff, Roddick admitted that despite his "bias" towards the 20-year-old, he had to be objective about her chances. The 41-year-old concurred with Wertheim's opinion that Gauff couldn't complain about her draw but expressed doubts about the World No. 3's ability to survive her potential third-round clash against Elina Svitolina.
"This next one, I don’t like doing it. All cards on the table, I have a bias towards Coco Gauff but I still have to try to be objective. I like Svitolina to round three, I like Coco to round three, I think I like Svitolina to round four," he said.
"I’d love to be wrong. Again, I value current form and Coco is searching. She would probably tell you she’s searching. I haven’t talked to Brad in a month but I gotta think they know that. I don’t know if I can put Coco through to the quarters," he added.
Roddick also argued that there's a "straightforward" strategy for opponents to apply against Coco Gauff when she isn't performing at her best, predicting that she won't reach the quarterfinals. Instead, he favored Emma Navarro to advance to the final eight from their quarter of the draw.
"What I do know is, it was easy to choose her last year because wins were behind her, she was playing great. She just hasn’t found… When I say this, it’s the great players, which I consider Coco a great player. She would probably tell you that she’s had an average year and she’s seeded three at the US Open. Like, she’s that caliber talented player," Roddick said.
"Great players go through stages where they’re searching for it. When she is searching for it specifically, how you approach going after her game is pretty straightforward if she’s not on. So, I don’t think she’s going to make the quarters, I’m going Navarro through that quarter," he added.
Coco Gauff on her US Open 2024 campaign: "Coming in as defending champion is a little bit of pressure, but also more of a privilege"
Despite the concerns over her form, Coco Gauff has shared a positive outlook regarding her title defense at the 2024 US Open. Speaking in her pre-tournament press conference, the World No. 3 acknowledged the pressure of being the defending champion but welcomed it as a privilege.
The American shared her excitement about returning to her home Slam and expressed optimism about her campaign.
"Yeah, it's a new year for a new opportunity. Really excited to be back here and have a great tournament. Obviously coming in as defending champion is a little bit of pressure, but also more of a privilege, because as my new motto is: If you defend, that means you won something before. I'm excited to be back here and hopefully have a good two weeks," Coco Gauff said.
Coco Gauff will square off against Varvara Gracheva in her opening match at the New York Major. In case of a win, the 20-year-old will face Tatjana Maria or Solana Sierra in the second round, with Elina Svitolina and Emma Navarro potentially standing between her and a spot in the quarterfinals.