John McEnroe has assessed Coco Gauff’s chances of winning Wimbledon this year.
The American is searching for her second major and she will relish the chance to win the tournament where she announced herself at the age of 15 when she defeated Venus Williams.
She will play at the All-England Club for the first time since becoming a Grand Slam champion after winning the US Open in September 2023.
Now ranked number two in the world, Gauff is keen to take her game to the next level and there is no better way to achieve that than by winning the sport’s most prestigious event.
How does John McEnroe rate Coco Gauff’s chances at Wimbledon?
McEnroe knows how to win Wimbledon more than most, having lifted the title there on three occasions and even ended Bjorn Borg’s five-year winning streak in 1981. He witnessed Gauff reach the last 16 at Wimbledon as a teenager in 2019 and again in 2021.
While previewing the upcoming edition of the event, the tennis legend turned commentator thinks the 20-year-old’s comfortability on grass and experience winning a major makes her a threat to claim the title.
“Coco Gauff is a great player. She’s got the major (US Open title in 2023) and knows how to play on the grass. She’s more comfortable on it than Iga Swiatek is,” he told The Metro.
“That doesn’t mean Iga isn’t going to figure something out, but she’s more vulnerable on grass than any other surface. It opens the door for some other players.
“Elena Rybakina, the way she plays, it suits her game more and it’s the same for Aryna Sabalenka, they are big hitters.”
What are Coco Gauff’s grass court season results in 2024?
Following her French Open semi-final defeat, Gauff has played just one grass court tournament in the leadup to Wimbledon.
The American competed at the Berlin Grass Court Championships and reached the semi-finals, where she was beaten by compatriot Jessica Pegula.
Gauff is aiming for a far better Wimbledon campaign than a year ago, when she suffered a surprising first round exit.
She came up against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and suffered a crushing 6-4 2-6 6-4 loss.
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