Having a strong rival is extremely important to excel in any sport. It fosters competition, drives motivation, and leads to increased effort and performance. Rivalries can also encourage self-improvement and a constant thrive for excellence. Talking about the biggest rivalry in the tennis world, Novak Djokovic once claimed, “Those two guys, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, are the ones who pushed me to be a better player.” Then recently, while talking about his fiercest rival’s comeback to the Tour, Carlos Alcaraz said, “I need him (Jannik Sinner) on the tour because, I mean, he pushes me to be a better player and give 100% every day, to be better.” Even on the women’s side, we’ve seen a few tough competitions going on between the Top 5 players. What does the world number 3, Coco Gauff, have to say about the importance of having a strong rivalry?
Coco Gauff recently showcased a dominating performance against Emma Raducanu in the R16 of the 2025 Italian Open. She outclassed te Brit by 6-1,6-2 to win this clash of two former US Open champions. Following this impressive victory, she appeared at the Tennis Channel for an interview. During the interview, Gauff was asked to reflect a bit on Alcaraz’s comments on Sinner. In reply to that, she shared her own thoughts on the importance of having a strong rivalry to chase excellence.
“Definitely, it’s super important. I can definitely agree with that. But honestly, especially on the women’s side of the game, I feel like there’s so much depth so it’s not only just the top three players. Every match is someone pushing you to be better, and when you’re at the top, people tend to play better against a higher-ranked player. I was one of those players that did that,” said Gauff. She further added, “For me, obviously having the two or three rivals is important and it definitely pushes you to be better but the tour as a whole, it pushes me to be better. I feel like every match I’m on edge, no matter who I’m playing. It’s great that the women have so much depth, I feel like the men’s side is having that too.“
“It’s not really that much in my mind, cause I really want another slam”
Coco Gauff talked returning to world No.2, the WTA’s depth, and more after her #IBI25 4R win vs Raducanu pic.twitter.com/DmsK5qnayl
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 12, 2025
Just like Alcaraz, Sinner had also previously claimed, “We try to push ourselves to the limit. I wake up in the morning, trying to understand the ways to beat him.” This is exactly what makes these rivalries extremely special! Talking about rivalries in women’s tennis, with the French Open knocking at the door, who among the Top 3 has a greater chance of winning the big clay court title this year?
American tennis legend named her four favorites to win the 2025 French Open, but where has she placed Coco Gauff in that list?
Coco Gauff has a win-loss record of 22-7 this season. Although she has made quite a few long runs in her previous tournaments this year, she is yet to win a title this season. Her best record was reaching the final at the Madrid Open, where she was defeated by the number one, Aryna Sabalenka, in straight sets.
Talking about her goals, Gauff recently claimed that the rankings are not something that she thinks about constantly. But she claimed, “I just want another slam, so honestly, it’s not something that I think about. But honestly, it’s something I want to touch on in my career and maintain, too. So, yeah, it’s definitely something that I want to do.” Now, the upcoming major tournament is the French Open. Gauff’s best record in this tournament has been reaching the final in 2022, where she was defeated by Iga Swiatek by a 1-6,3-6 margin.
If we draw a comparison between the Top 3, Swiatek has the most success at the Roland Garros. She’s a four-time champion there, whereas Sabalenka’s best record has been reaching the SF in 2023. Tennis legend Chris Evert recently named her four favorites to win the women’s singles title at the 2025 French Open. But interestingly, she looked a bit concerned with the Pole this time!
According to her, “I don’t know how you can pick anybody between [Aryna] Sabalenka, Iga, and Coco, and with Madison Keys, really to me would be my fourth pick. I just don’t know how Iga is going to react. That, to me, is the unknown. We know what she is capable of, and with her past records, she’s brilliant at the French Open, but I just don’t know if she can find her A game, because she’s going to need it. It’s kind of like we’re seeing her C game right now.“
However, talking about Coco Gauff chances at the 2025 French Open, another American former tennis player, Steve Johnson said, “I think Coco has…I mean, she definitely has a chance..I mean, she’s one of, if not the best, competitor, and I think the most mentally kind of like stable, you know, week in and week out, day in and day out on the women’s side. I mean, she shows up and she competes.“
Gauff will next face the in-form Russian, Mirra Andreeva, in the QF. She has a 3-0 record over the 18-year-old tennis star. Do you think the American keep her winning streak intact in Rome?
The post “I’m on Edge”- Coco Gauff Echoes Carlos Alcaraz in a Stark Reminder of Tennis’ Brutal Rivalries appeared first on EssentiallySports.