"Novak Djokovic is a one-in-a-generation type of player and so is Carlos Alcaraz" - Coco Gauff on how the duo are 'breaking the limits' of tennis
American tennis star Coco Gauff has hailed Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz for "breaking the limits" of tennis, labelling the pair as generational phenoms.
On Wednesday, August 30, sixth-seed Gauff defeated Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva in straight sets in the second round of the US Open. She came through the one hour and 16 minute-long clash 6-3, 6-2.
During the post-match press conference, Coco Gauff tagged 23-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz as "one-in-a-generation type of players".
Elaborating further, she explained that while the pair are in different spectrums of their careers, their battles are 'peak tennis', drawing parallels to when Djokovic played former World No. 1s, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
"Oh, it's incredible. The limits of the game, to be honest. They're breaking the limits of tennis. I think it's peak tennis, to be honest. Not just their matchups. I've watched Novak [Djokovic] play against Roger [Federer], Rafa [Nadal], those two, it's just peak tennis. I don't know," said the 19-year-old.
"It's crazy, it's a one-in-a-generation type of thing, and Novak [Djokovic] is a one-in-a-generation type of player, and so is Carlos [Alcaraz], and they're playing each other on two different spectrums. I don't know. I can talk about this all day. It's really cool," she added.
World No. 6 Coco Gauff further spoke about looking up to Djokovic and Alcaraz for their physical ability and footwork, as she tries to learn and improve by watching their matches.
"Somebody who I look up to a lot movement-wise is definitely Novak [Djokovic] and definitely Carlos [Alcaraz]. I think they're both people that are seating their fill when it comes to -- well, obviously the tennis, but obviously physically and footwork-wise. It's something I'm trying to work on,"
"I do think I have the athleticism as them -- not like the same as them -- but compared to my field. So I'm hoping I can continue to learn by watching them. I was watching Alcaraz last night,"
"I have a lot of joy in me but I just seem to bottle it up when I play" - Coco Gauff wants to learn to smile in games like Carlos Alcaraz
During the same press conference, Coco Gauff was asked about her learnings from watching the likes of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
"The thing I've learned the most is how they're able to handle the situations when they're not playing their best tennis," said Gauff.
Coco Gauff reflected on World No. 1 Alcaraz's ability to smile through the toughest situations. The 19-year-old, envious of Alcaraz, hopes to replicate this aspect of his game.
"For instance, Carlos [Alcaraz] in Cincinnati, he was losing a set every match pretty much and he wasn't playing his best, that was clear. I don't know. The way that he was still smiling, for me, against Hubi Hurkacz and he was down a set and a break or something like that, I don't know, he was down crazy or down match points. He was still smiling," said Gauff.
"I was, like, if he can smile, he's No. 1 in the world and he has all this pressure, he's supposed to beat Hubi on paper, then I can do it in situations maybe where, most of the time now I'm not the underdog, but against, for example, like Iga [Swiatek] or [Aryna] Sabalenka, those where I'm considered the underdog on paper, I can smile too," she added.
Coco Gauff added that she wants to learn to smile and laugh more on the court, inevitably making tennis more enjoyable for her.
"I think I learned the most about their [Djokovic and Alcaraz] joy in matches and how I can transfer that. Because I have a lot of joy in me but I just seem to bottle it up when I play. Now I'm really just having fun and laughing and smiling, and I think it's making tennis more enjoyable," said the 19-year-old.
Having qualified for the third round at the 2023 US Open, Coco Gauff is set to face 32nd seed Elise Mertens. The Belgian defeated American Danielle Collins in a high-octane second-round fixture with a score of 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-1. This will be the pair's third duel, with Gauff leading the head-to-head battle 2-0 against Mertens.