Tennis analyst Mark Petchey believes Coco Gauff is the “best women’s athlete ever to play tennis” and claimed that the 19-year-old at her current level event bests Steffi Graf.
Patchey who formerly coached Andy Murray hailed Gauff as an absolute gem for the WTA tour and suggested that the American could be even more formidable after clinching her maiden Grand Slam title at home.
Gauff overcame the #1 seed Aryna Sabalenka, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the 2023 US Open earlier in September. By winning his first major title, Gauff has also claimed the career-high ranking of #3 as she won 18 of her last 19 matches and stood victor at three of her last four tournaments.
Following an opening round loss to Sofia Kenin at Wimbledon, Gauff came strong to win the Citi DC Open title in Washington at home that followed her reaching the last eight in Montreal and securing her first WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati before clinching her maiden major at Flushing Meadows.
Petchey talking on the Inside-In podcast of Tennis Channel was all praise for the teenage sensation as he discussed her return to action at the WTA 500 in Beijing.
“That is gonna be fascinating to see her come back and I just don’t think it’s gonna be a problem, I’ve gotta be honest. One of the great sporting global stories of the year. The fact, the way that she went through the summer. It just had everything that you would want about a blockbuster story,” assessed the Brit.
“And she just seems so incredibly mature for 19 that I don’t have any issues in my mind that she’s gonna come back. She’s found the solution of the way that she needs to play. It’s gonna be up to all the other players on the tour to kinda counter the way that she’s moving the ball around, particularly on that forehand side.
“I don’t know and I don’t think we’ve seen a better athlete in women’s tennis. And that’s something else that’s gonna be a problem for a lot of the players out there. And plus, the pressure’s off. She’s done it, she’s won a major.
“She’s gonna be able to play with a certain amount of freedom that she wasn’t able to play with before as she was trying to seek that elusive goal. Sky is the limit. She’s an absolute gem for the women’s tour and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a few more trophies in the bag before she hangs up her rackets for the season.”
Former ATP #80 explained why he rates the American as best athlete in the history of the women’s game while comparing her to Steffi Graf – a 22-time major winner.
“I think she’s the best women’s athlete ever to play tennis. You cannot tell me that tennis – even when Steffi [Graf] was around, who I think in my mind was the second greatest female women’s tennis player athlete of all time – you can’t tell me that the sport was played at the same speed back then than it is now,” continued Petchey.
“The sport moves on and I don’t think that we should always try and compare the current generation of players with ghosts, because we can’t do it. They were phenomenal in their era. I think Steffi was the best in her era.
“I personally think that Coco Gauff – looking at her right now with the speed that the game is being played at – is the best female women’s tennis athlete that we have ever seen.”
Gauff will be up against WTA #21, Ekaterina Alexandrova in the opening round of the WTA 500 tourney in Beijing on Sunday.