Coco Gauff became the talk of the town when she defeated the seven-time Grand Slam champion, Venus Williams. She got the better of Williams in the first round of Wimbledon at the age of 15. People started thinking of her as the next Serena Williams. However, there was someone who wished her game would slow down a little.

John McEnroe, the seven-time Grand Slam champion, just before her clash with Naomi Osaka at the 2019 US Open, stated that he was rooting for her defeat. Here’s how he defended his statement.

When McEnroe openly rooted against Gauff

In an interview with ESPN, the veteran discussed the cons of a Gauff victory. He, in the context of the third-round US Open match scheduled between Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka, said, “I hope Coco Gauff loses tomorrow, personally.”

 Thereafter, he explained, “I actually think it would be bad for the sport of tennis if the defending champion who’s struggling. I know she’s got a knee issue… But that would be devastating to her, and she’s the one we were talking about last year, like Coco Gauff.”

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“If Coco Gauff at 15 can beat the defending champion, break down the defending champion? In my opinion, too much too soon, less is more.” The now four times Grand Slam champion suffered a knee injury during her quarterfinal match against Sofia Kenin at Cincinnati Masters. She had to pull out of the tournament and the American major was her comeback event.

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Therefore, considering the possible delicate state of her mind, McEnroe made the statement. Speaking of the match, the now world no.7 Gauff suffered a straight-set defeat 6-3 6-0 against Osaka. However, post that in the round of 16, the Japanese banked a similar fate. She lost her seat in the last eight to Belinda Bencic.

Coco Gauff and Osaka’s run this season

The former World no.1 who struggled with some mental health issues last year had a rough season. She only secured one finals run and failed to qualify for the WTA Finals. Osaka fought for the title at the Miami Open against current WTA no.1 Iga Swiatek and fell to her monstrous winning streak that lasted till the clay season.

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Coming to Gauff, she touched some noteworthy milestones this year. She made it to her first-ever Grand Slam final in France and became the youngest WTA professional since Maria Sharapova in 2004 to do so. Similarly, she again became the youngest player since the Russian to qualify for the WTA Finals. Despite enjoying a strong season, Gauff had a disappointing time in Fort Worth, Texas. She lost all of her round-robin matches and exited the Finals without winning a set.

She will be recuperating during the break and hope to make a strong start to the 2023 season. Can Gauff build on her impressive season and win a Grand Slam title in 2023?