Coco Gauff made a dream Grand Slam debut on the tennis circuit. She hunted the big fish, Venus Williams, on her favored surface, ousting the 5-time Wimbledon Champion in the opening round. Her first steps changed the course of her journey. The American tennis prodigy was expected to follow in the footsteps of the renowned Serena Williams and her sister Venus. A few years down the lane, Gauff has made some remarkable strides in the tennis circuit. However, according to former Polish tennis player Dawid Celt, her achievements might have felt somewhat short of what everyone anticipated.

Gauff’s debut did make her entry merrier. However, it also led to big expectations from the then-teenager, as the 23-time Grand Slam champion was looking at the sunset of her career. Everyone was looking for the ‘next Serena Williams’ to take American tennis to new heights. Former tennis player Celt detailed his views of Gauff’s tennis journey in Przeglad Sportowy on September 10th. He said, “She has been under enormous pressure from the very beginning because everyone saw her as the successor to the Williams sisters.”

The tennis coach further went on to add, “Should I be honest? With all due respect, she is overrated to me.” Though he appreciated Gauff’s phenomenal run during the hard court swing in 2023 on the North American continent. She claimed the Washington Open, the Cincinnati Open, and the last Grand Slam of the year, the US Open. Tennis enthusiasts hoped to see the same Gauff in the 2024 season. Why? Because of the coach, Brad Gilbert, in her team.

However, Gauff, somewhere, faded into the shadows, according to the Celt. She was unable to claim another Grand Slam this season. He further said, “Brad Gilbert sat in her team, and that was the “wow” effect. She swept what she had to sweep, and then she started to return to the Gauff we know before the new coach appeared.” However, the 2024 season has not been an entirely lackluster season for the American tennis star.

She opened her season with a win at ASB Classics before making it to the semifinals of the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Italian Open, French Open, and others. While claiming the women’s doubles at the Roland Garros. Though she struggled to get past the initial rounds since the Wimbledon Championships, the ending of the season has been heartbreaking.

However, the Polish coach thinks that she may climb up to the top of the circuit. But. There are better players than the 20-year-old who can make it faster. He further added, “If various circumstances come together, she may climb to the top of the WTA rankings for a while, but Elena Rybakina, who is also a big unknown, could do it faster.” This all comes against the backdrop of the fact that the coach anticipated Gauff to be a fierce competitor against Iga Swiatek. However, it has been a lopsided battle favoring the Polish tennis star!

Moreover, Swiatek’s compatriot isn’t the only one who has expressed concerns about her form this season. Particularly after an unsuccessful title defense at the US Open. Andy Roddick too has raised concerns about Gauff’s form.

Andy Roddick’s analysis of Coco Gauff’s US Open run

Things went awry for the American tennis star in front of the home crowd. Gauff made an early exit against Emma Navarro in the R4, thus crushing her hopes and those of millions of tennis fans. Hence, when Roddick took it upon himself to decode Guaff’s US Open game, her weak serve didn’t come as a surprise. Tennis fans were treated to many unsightly double faults during her R4 match.

Highlighting the need for a strong mental game, he said, “The service is an issue. Like, it’s just, it’s tough; you know, she, I think she had 10 or 11 double faults in the third set against, you know, Emma… It’s, it’s tough to get around that, right? I don’t think I’ve ever seen her play that poorly in a match. It’s also just a kind of mental hurdle.”

However, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” it took years for its grandstanding. And this applies to almost everything in the world, even the sporting area. Serena Williams didn’t become the 23-time Grand Slam champion in a day. It took her over 2 decades to become the tennis GOAT! And Coco Gauff has years in front of her to build a strong legacy!