Iga Swiatek shut her haters down on the Centre Court earlier this month. In a record-shattering Wimbledon final, she conquered grass with a brutal scoreline of 6-0, 6-0 against Amanda Anisimova. It took her just 57 minutes to lift her maiden Venus Rosewater Dish trophy. After constant setbacks this season, despite repeated deep runs, the former World No.1 finally unleashed her might on the tennis court like never before. But that’s a thing of the past. Swiatek is now the reigning Wimbledon queen – the world knows it. Still, a former ATP pro and top coach believes she may not grab another slam this season.
Ahead of the US Open, a famed trainer has made a massive prediction for Swiatek’s top two rivals – Coco Gauff and World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka – while snubbing her. Swiatek’s journey was looking doubtful before Wimbledon. However, she turned things around in no time. That’s how good her campaign was at the All England Club. Especially toward the final stages. In the semis, she thrashed Swiss pro Belinda with a 6-2, 6-0 scoreline before outclassing American Anisimova in the summit clash.
But when it comes to the US Open, Swiatek is not among the potential winners. At least that’s what Jasmine Paolini’s former coach and ex-Italian pro Renzo Furlan thinks. He recently came up with interesting names. Starting with men’s category, he began, “The US Open? Jannik and Carlos favorites, I expect a lot from the Americans, Paul and Fritz and / expect baby Fonseca to express himself at high levels.” And what about the WTA side? Making his prediction on US Open women’s singles champion, Furlan simply told, “Among the women, Sabalenka and Gauff”.
Image Credits: Coco Gauff/Instagram
It’s interesting to note is that Sabalenka and Gauff are coming off a very forgettable campaign in London. While Sabalenka once again missed out on the chance to win at least one slam this season, following her loss in the semis, Gauff couldn’t even last a week at the grass major. Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska ousted her in the first round with a scoreline of 7-6(3), 6-1.
The result sent shockwaves across the tennis world since the American WTA star was riding high on the wave of her recent slam triumph in Paris. Sadly, she couldn’t replicate it at Wimbledon. But guess what? Gauff’s still shining bright. Despite the recent failure, her latest accomplishment may boost her morale ahead of the New York challenge.
Coco Gauff wins prestigious honor ahead of her US Open campaign
Last week, the World No.2 received the Best Tennis Player award at the 2025 ESPYs by ESPN. The event took place inside the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles where the two-time slam queen won the top honor. Interestingly, Aryna Sabalenka was also nominated alongside her in the same category. But it was the American who finally took home the coveted trophy.
While her entire season has been underwhelming in terms of results, Gauff’s French Open victory played a key role in making her the Best Tennis Player. For the uninitiated, she had won this award in the previous season too. Reacting to the win, she wrote on X, “apparently I won an espy. thank you. I am super grateful! I wish I could’ve attended! thank you to every one who voted.”
This time, however, she hardly had any idea about the accomplishment. Long after the news went viral, Gauff woke up to it while being in awe. On her X, she reacted, “woke up to finding out I won another espy!! ahhhh thank youuuu”,
This achievement will undoubtedly lift her downed spirits, especially after the huge Wimbledon setback. In New York, she’s a former winner, so that will give her an additional push. Back in 2023, she became the first American teenager since Serena Williams in 1999 to win the US Open title. But the burning question is: can she do it again by wrapping up the season on a high? What are your thoughts about her prospects at Flushing Meadows? Let us know in the comments below.
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