Sam Querrey states how he feels about Coco Gauff after she exits the Australian Open in surprise defeat

Posted by author January 24, 2025 Tennis

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Coco Gauff certainly gave a good account of herself at the Australian Open, but she may be left thinking what could have been.

Andy Roddick said Gauff ‘looked great’ against Paula Badosa, but it was the Spaniard who triumphed in their quarter-final clash.

Badosa overcame WTA number three and Australian Open third seed Gauff 7-4, 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne to reach the semi-finals.

Gauff sent a heartfelt message to Badosa after their loss, before the latter then exited at the hands of Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals.

The American had been very impressive before her surprise exit, having previously beaten the likes of Leylah Fernandez and Sofia Kenin in straight sets.

Photo by Mark Avellino/Anadolu via Getty Images

Sam Querrey says Coco Gauff is ‘still improving’ after shock Australian Open exit

Her shock defeat to Badosa has now been analysed by former player Sam Querrey, who discussed Gauff on the Nothing Major podcast alongside fellow ex-professionals John Isner Steve Johnson.

“I looked at it earlier,” began Querrey. “I think this was her sixth Australian Open and she is 20 years old. You two had played zero Australian Opens when you were 20, I had maybe played one or two. She was so good when she was 14 or 15.

READ MORE: American tennis fans are angry at ‘terrible’ and ‘disrespectful’ broadcasting decision over Coco Gauff’s Australian Open quarter-final

“She is still improving and she is going to be a threat and she has a great chance to win a major for the next 10 years.”

Coco Gauff likely to compete with Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek for Grand Slams

Gauff will be disappointed about the manner and indeed the stage of her exit in Melbourne, but it is certainly worth remembering that she is just 20 years old.

Remarkably, she is already a nine-time WTA champion, and once reached a career-high ranking of second in the world.

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At the top of her resume is that stunning 2023 US Open title, with the American’s WTA Finals win last season not far behind.

It will undoubtedly be a battle to compete with the likes of Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek for the top titles, but Gauff certainly isn’t far behind the talented duo.

She has recently proven that she can indeed successfully compete with the Pole, but the Belarusian is likely to continue dominating the hard court scene for some time, with Sabalenka now into a third successive Australian Open final.