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Coco Gauff reveals what her relationship with Emma Navarro is really like ahead of their Wimbledon round four clash

Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images
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Coco Gauff described her relationship with Emma Navarro ahead of their Wimbledon clash.

The 20-year-old has been unstoppable at SW19 so far as she aims to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish for the first time in her career.

The second seed has yet to drop a set and has conceded just 10 games over the course of her first three matches.

But she will face a step up in class when she takes on the 19th seed in the fourth round and it is someone she knows very well.

Coco Gauff shares kind words about Emma Navarro before their Wimbledon match

Gauff mastered Britain’s Sonay Kartel and the home crowd to reach the last 16 at Wimbledon for the third time following a 6-4, 6-0 victory.

To achieve her best ever run at the All-England Club, she will have to go through Navarro who has also looked strong throughout the tournament.

Both players come from the United States and Gauff says she has known the player since she was a youngster and she went on to describe their relationship.

“She’s great. I have known her since I was young, basically since I started playing tennis,” Gauff told reporters. “We are very friendly with each other, I wouldn’t say we are close friends, because we grew up but then we kind of split as we went to college.

“But we are always very friendly with each other and I’m super excited to be on the same Olympic team as her. She’s a very nice person and her family is nice, so I’m excited to be able to play against her and then be on the same team as her.”

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Photo by MICHAEL BRADLEY/AFP via Getty Images

Have Coco Gauff and Emma Navarro played before?

Gauff and Navarro’s Wimbledon match will be their second encounter on the WTA Tour. Their first came at the ASB Classic in January, which Gauff won 6-3, 6-1 to reach the final and successfully retain her title.

After recording comfortable wins against Wang Qiang and former World number one Naomi Osaka, the 23-year-old came from behind to defeat Diana Shnaider to book her clash with Gauff at Wimbledon, which the US Open champion is not expecting to be anything like her other rounds so far.

“I played her once this year in Auckland. She is a very tough opponent and just watching her play, a lot of people think her ranking is a surprise, but growing up with her I knew she was very talented and I always knew her game would translate well on tour,” Gauff added.

“I think she has an awkward game and playing her is going to be a tough match and she’s had some good wins this tournament. I don’t expect it to be easy.”