"Nick Kyrgios and Roger Federer are literally my dream mixed doubles partners" - Coco Gauff
Days after revealing that she wants to be friends with Nick Kyrgios, American teenage tennis sensation Coco Gauff has admited that the Aussie and Roger Federer are her "dream mixed doubles partners".
Having played a couple of exhibition matches at the Citi Open in Washington last week, Gauff was asked by the ATP Tour social media which men's player she would like to befriend. When the 17-year-old named Kyrgios, it propelled the Aussie to ask the youngster for a possible mixed doubles partnership at the Australian Open - to which she enthusiastically replied, "Let's make it happen".
During a press conference ahead of her National Bank Open campaign in Montreal, Coco Gauff was asked to share her thoughts on playing mixed doubles at the Australian Open. The American revealed that she got to know of Kyrgios' tweet through her agent, before expressing hope of turning her dream into reality at Melbourne next year.
"My agent sent me his tweet, where he asked me about mixed doubles," Gauff said. "People don't know this but (Nick) and Roger (Federer) are literally my dream mixed doubles partners. Hopefully we can make it happen."
Elaborating further on the possibility of a partnership with Kyrgios, the French Open quarterfinalist added:
"We haven't really talked about it other than on social media. Obviously Australia is far, far away from now. That's gonna be his home court. The crowds gonna be behind this."
Coco Gauff went on to recall how she met Nick Kyrgios at the Miami Open when she was just 13, and how the two had had a hit together.
"He hit with me at the Miami Open when I was 13 (but) we're not super close," Gauff said. "I guess he asked the (doubles) question because I did an interview for ATP socials and they asked me who I wanted to be friends with. I said Nick. I just really respect him as a person and player."
In addition to her respect for Nick Kyrgios, Coco Gauff's admiration for Roger Federer is also well-known. Most recently, the World No. 24 wished Federer on his 40th birthday, where she called the Swiss the "ultimate icon in tennis".
".@rogerfederer you are the ultimate icon in tennis: ever since holding a tennis racket as a kid, I’ve been a fan. Happy birthday!" Gauff tweeted.
Focusing on being aggressive in the hardcourt season: Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff was having a dream summer until a positive COVID-19 test dashed her hopes of representing her nation at the Tokyo Olympics. Now healthy and happy again, the teenager is fully focused on the American hardcourt swing; she wants to replicate her European success at home too.
Talking about the areas of her game she is working on, Gauff claimed she is focussing on being aggressive and having a strong frontcourt game.
"I have been focussing a lot on first serves and first few balls and being aggressive specially in the hardcourt season," Coco Gauff said. "During the clay season, hitting the heavier ball and being higher in the court works. During the grass season, it didn't work as much as it is a different surface.
"Hard is like the middle of the two," she added. "I have been working on being aggressive but not overly aggressive and also trying to transition forward and finish points at the net."
Gauff will open her National Bank Open campaign against World No. 64 Anastasija Sevastova on Tuesday.