John McEnroe compares Coco Gauff to Carlos Alcaraz and makes major prediction

Coco Gauff showing her growing maturity

John McEnroe believes Coco Gauff is similar to Carlos Alcaraz as they are both “extremely athletic” and competing with “some of the bigger hitters” on their respective tours. 

The seven-time major singles champion declared that he would be surprised if 2023 US Open winner Gauff did not win “a bunch of more” Grand Slam titles.

Gauff will face world No 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals of the 2024 Australian Open on Thursday as she looks to make her second final in as many major tournaments.

The 19-year-old defeated Sabalenka in three sets in the final of the 2023 US Open in September to claim her maiden Grand Slam title. The world No 4 was also a runner-up at the 2022 French Open.

The American, who defeated Marta Kostyuk in the quarter-finals in Melbourne, is on a 10-match winning streak after defending her title in Auckland to begin her season.

Sabalenka is the defending Australian Open champion, having downed Elena Rybakina in three sets in last year’s final to win her first major. The 25-year-old Belarusian has reached at least the semi-finals at the last six Grand Slams.

4 – Only against Katerina Siniakova (5) Coco Gauff has won more matches than against Aryna Sabalenka (4). Whilst only Iga Swiatek (6) and Kiki Bertens (5) have won more Tour main draw matches against Aryna Sabalenka than Coco Gauff (4). Duel.#AusOpen | @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/pHMiOdjUub

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) January 25, 2024

Speaking to Eurosport, former world No 1 McEnroe likened Gauff to two-time ATP Grand Slam champion Alcaraz and backed her for more major success.

READ MORE: From New Balance tennis shoes to a trusty Head racket, what equipment does Coco Gauff use?

“You know, I look at Coco a little bit like Alcaraz against some of the bigger hitters. It’s similar with her. She’s not as big as the other players and but she’s extremely athletic, the way Alcaraz is. I expect her to win more majors,” the American said.

“She will definitely win more majors. She seems to be in a good place. Mentally, she added some pieces to her team, such as Brad Gilbert, and is working with Andy Roddick and you can see the improvements on her serve.

“Brad has a history with some of the other top players, so he knows you know what it takes, and it seems to have helped her. Obviously she won the US Open already so I expect big things from her. She’s still young. But over the course of the next 10 years, I’d be surprised if she didn’t win a bunch of more majors.

“It will be interesting hopefully to see her develop along with some of these other players and soon there’ll be a new younger player or two that will be added to the mix.”

World No 93 and qualifier Dayana Yastremska will face 12th seed Zheng Qinwen in the second women’s singles semi-final on Thursday.

McEnroe urged the 23-year-old Ukrainian to enjoy the semi-final as he recalled his own experience of reaching the last four of Wimbledon as a qualifier.

“I qualified and made it to the semis of a major and was completely overwhelmed when I walked on Wimbledon centre court for the first time. Her opponent will be different and just as surprised as she is when she is in the semis,” he said.

“I played like the No 1 or No 2 guy and I felt like I had already lost before I stepped on the court [in the Wimbledon semi-finals in 1977]. I feel like she will already think she has lost to whoever wins out of Gauff and Sabalenka. She just has to enjoy it.

“She’s been through a lot of stuff already, off the tour, suspended, came back and won her appeal. Here she is and it’s incredible. Talk about wide open. She has a great chance to keep moving forward but she hits a great ball and I don’t see why she can’t get to the final.”

READ MORE: The 5 best major runs by women’s qualifiers: Australian Open star Dayana Yastremska joins Emma Raducanu

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