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Madrid Open: Coco Gauff Debunks Aryna Sabalenka’s Bizarre Claims Insulting Women’s Tennis With A Staunch Opinion

Published 04/26/2024, 8:52 AM EDT

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Aryna Sabalenka‘s recent comments regarding her preference for watching men’s tennis over women’s tennis ignited a lively debate in the tennis world. The World No. 2, on being asked about her preference for watching tennis, stated, “I’m not someone who watches too much tennis, I prefer to watch men’s tennis rather than women’s tennis, I feel like there is more strategy and it’s more interesting to watch.”

While her comment indirectly acted as an insult to women’s tennis, Coco Gauff, who has always stood to support the feminine side of the support, came forward with different thoughts. The World No. 3 shared her perspective, saying, “I watch women’s tennis like all the time. I will say, when I was younger it was the only tennis I watched.”

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This confident take from the US Open champion added more weight to her consistent support for women’s tennis. She also highlighted her admiration for players like Serena Williams and Venus Williams, who have paved the way for the next generation of female athletes including her.

During her 2023 Cincinnati Masters campaign, Gauff talked about how she was inspired by watching the iconic pair of Serena and Venus Williams dominating on the WTA Tour. “Definitely the Williams sisters they are the reasons why I started playing tennis and honestly that fight, watching them fight day in day out…and who they are on and off the court. ..I just loved playing and then you know seeing them, Serena and Venus being so electric on TV made me want to do something like that.”

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Although the differing viewpoints of Sabalenka and Gauff are subjective opinions the 20-year-old’s perspective came forward as a shield for the growing popularity of women in sports. While Sabalenka appreciates the strategic aspects of men’s tennis, Gauff’s focus lies on the women’s game, showcasing the fact that she embraces rising women.

Coco Gauff’s deep interest in spectating the ‘Big Three’

Besides mentioning the fact that she has been a WTA fan right from the beginning, Coco Gauff also expressed a diverse side of her. In the same statement where she explained her viewership priority, Gauff also talked about her liking to watch the likes of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal.

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“So then when I got more into the sport and I started playing junior tournaments and being at the Slams with the guys then I was like, maybe I’ll watch them. I would only watch Roger, Rafa, and Novak, actually I did watch Del Potro a little bit,” she said, listing the names of inclusion in her focused tennis viewership.

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This statement highlighted how Gauff has also been a big fan of WTA along with possessing an interest in watching the ‘Big Three’ unleash their dominance. “But I definitely enjoy watching women’s sports in general, not just tennis,” Coco summed her perspective.

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Written by:

Akshay Kapoor

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Akshay Kapoor, a tennis writer at EssentiallySports, excels in crafting pieces that set new trends. His analytical skills riding on the back of certification in Digital Marketing help inject in-depth research as he covers the business undertakings of Tennis stars. Akshay’s articles touch the entire tennis spectrum, from iconic figures like Djokovic and emerging talents such as Holger Rune and Coco Gauff.
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Edited by:

Deepanshi Bajaj