Coco Gauff is gearing up to defend her US Open title after winning her maiden grand slam in New York against Aryna Sabalenka.
It’s certainly not been the trophy-laden summer of tennis that Coco Gauff enjoyed on the hard courts last year.
As she headed into the US Open, Gauff won her first WTA 500 event in Washington without dropping a single set.
The following fortnight saw her go even better and pick up her maiden WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati beating the world number one Iga Swiatek in the process.
This year however she has had everything but the perfect set-up. With a poor Olympics performance delaying her start in North America, she has been slow to warm up.
With just one win on the hard courts for the American, Annabel Croft has been the latest pundit to weigh in on Gauff’s shaky form this time round.
Annabel Croft says watching Coco Gauff is making her sad
Gauff was brutally dumped out of Toronto by Diana Shnaider, with the American totally outplayed in every sense.
It got worse after Yulia Putintseva beat Gauff after the American slumped while up a break in the deciding set.
Croft, who is an enormous fan of Gauff, has explained how difficult it’s been to watch her crumble ahead of the US Open.
“You saw at Wimbledon her forehand really went to pieces and broke down,” Annabel Croft told Sky Sports. “You watch her play now and there’s an expression on her face that looks worried. She just doesn’t look like she’s really enjoying her tennis.
“I feel really sad watching her at the moment,” Croft added. “I’m such a huge fan of her tennis and the way she has gone about her business… she brings people to the sport, and she is struggling.”
Jon Wertheim has been another to assess Gauff, suggesting how she might look to pick up her form before her US Open campaign.
Outlining how important the US Open is for Gauff, Croft continued: “This of course is the biggest time, coming up to trying to defend that US Open title. And every time I watch her now, I feel like she looks a little bit burdened by the pressure and expectation.
“I feel like that pressure has been building for quite a few months actually. I’m sure it has been looming over her, coming back to the US Open. There’s always going to be pressure for anyone trying to defend their first Grand Slam title, but I just feel like she’s struggling with it all.”
Tennis pundits have all raised concerns about Gauff, especially given the rise in form of last year’s runner-up, Aryna Sabalenka.
Who will win the US Open if Coco Gauff can’t find her form?
With the US Open seedings announced and Sabalenka’s Cincinnati win having pushed the American down into third in the WTA rankings, Gauff will be forced to face Swiatek before the final.
It means a re-match of last year’s final against Sabalenka is still on the cards, but if current form is anything to go by, that may be slightly beyond reach for the 20-year-old.
The two top players in the world, Swiatek and Sabalenka, helpfully faced off very recently in Cincinnati, with the Belarusian bulldozing to victory.
After Sabalenka’s dodgy exit in Toronto, she has seemingly found her range once again and looks the player to beat.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
