"People are very foolish on Coco Gauff's present & future" - Journalist dismisses concerns about American's confidence ahead of US Open title defense

Renowned tennis journalist Jon Wertheim recently dismissed concerns surrounding Coco Gauff's confidence ahead of her title defense at the 2024 US Open. Gauff won her first and her only Grand Slam title to date in New York last year, becoming the first American teenager to achieve this feat since Serena Williams in 1999.

Last year, Gauff was seeded sixth in New York and defeated the likes of Laura Siegemund, Mirra Andreeva, Elise Mertens, Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Ostapenko, and Karolina Muchova to secure her place in the final. She then defeated Aryna Sabalenka 2–6, 6–3, 6–2 in the summit clash to win the 2023 US Open title.

Speaking on Tennis Channel, journalist Jon Wertheim said that it would be foolish of people to doubt Gauff's abilities to win the US Open title.

“I’m glad that Coco Gauff has found motivation wherever she finds it if she can replicate these results great. My question who are the doubters? Who are the haters? This is a wildly popular player and I think most people are very foolish on her present and her future. I don’t quite get it to be honest. I feel like this is a player who gets as close to uniform support as you will find,” Wertheim said [1:42].

Wertheim expressed that Coco Gauff is still "exuding confidence" and should not be underestimated in her title defense at Flushing Meadows.

“Listen, if this is what motivates her, great! I’m just struck by how different the circumstances are. I mean last year she was the pre-tournament pick, she had all this momentum. This year she lost three of her last four matches, 16 of her last 18 points played that she lost and yet she’s still exuding this confidence,” she added [2:06].

The 53-year-old also said that the World No. 3 is one of the favorites to win the 2024 US Open title despite the lukewarm results she had at the 2024 Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open.

“I was in that press conference the other day and she was all smiles and she used the words ‘disguised blessing.’ She’s had some extra time here, interesting to me, she’s not playing a night session. But I think Coco as defending champion, very different set of circumstances from last year. But I think she’s definitely one of the favorites despite these middling results these last few weeks,” Jon Wertheim said [2:23].

Coco Gauff will face Varvara Gracheva in US Open 2024 1R

Coco Gauff will go up against Varvara Gracheva in the first round to begin her title defense at the 2024 US Open.

Gauff had a couple of forgettable results in the last two WTA 1000 hardcourt tournaments - the 2024 Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open.

In Toronto, she entered the tournament as the top seed and secured a 6-4, 6-4 win over qualifier Wang Yafan in the first round. However, her campaign ended when she was defeated in the third round by the 14th seed and eventual semifinalist Diana Shnaider 4-6, 1-6. In Cincinnati, Gauff, seeded second, fell to Yulia Putintseva 4-6, 6-2, 4-6 in her opening match.

Meanwhile, Gracheva came into the New York Slam on the back of a second round exit at the 2024 Cincinnati Open where she fell to top seed Iga Swiatek 0-6, 7-6(8), 2-6. She then competed at the 2024 Tennis in the Land in Cleveland where she was defeated 6-4, 3-6, 2-6 by qualifier Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the first round.

Coco Gauff and Varvara Gracheva have previously met only once on the WTA Tour, during the quarterfinals of the 2024 ASB Classic in Auckland. Gauff emerged victorious with a score of 6-1, 6-1 and went on to defend her title by defeating Elina Svitolina in the final.