Tennis star Coco Gauff is in New Zealand right now and it seems that even the neighboring country was not spared by the smoke from the Australian wildfires. On a Twitter post by Serena William’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou, Gauff is seen staring at the orange skies while stretching for a training session. The two were in an outdoor court in the middle of the afternoon, with the orange-tinged sky occupying a huge part of the photo.
@CocoGauff and how the #climatechange is affecting New Zealand @ASB_Classic pic.twitter.com/tISs1hUglg
— Luke (@Luke16572469) January 5, 2020
Mouratoglou, who has been coaching Gauff since she was ten, wrote that the orange skies may have been caused by the Australian fires. He said that it was surprising that the smoke traveled as far as 3,000 kilometers to where they were at the moment.
Gauff and Mouratoglou are in New Zealand for one of the pre-Australian Open tournaments. Mouratoglou is also training Williams at the same time as Gauff.
Coco Gauff on climate change
A few months ago, Coco Gauff became more outspoken about different issues in society. In an interview with The Guardian in October, she mentioned how inspired she was with the young people leading social movements all over the world. She said that it was high time that her generation speaks up about social issues.
NO FILTER ! Smoke from Australia’s fires flew 3 000 km to Auckland today and it felt like it was night at 3pm. pic.twitter.com/yVJbNWiN9C
— Patrick Mouratoglou (@pmouratoglou) January 5, 2020
She admitted that she is learning a lot from the movements sprouting in different countries. Now, she is doing her best to promote and support causes that she is passionate about. For example, she published informative posts about Black History Month on her Instagram account this year.
Gauff also confessed that she is an avid follower of the climate movement. She particularly follows Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who she said inspires her to use her fame for good.
Gauff in ASB Classic
Coco Gauff is going to participate in Auckland’s ASB Classic for the first time this week. The 15-year old tennis star will be part of a stellar ASB Classic lineup. She will be joining 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams, fellow tennis prodigy Amanda Anisimova, and 2014 Wimbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard.
Upon convincing her to come to Auckland, tournament director Karl Budge called her as one of the competition’s top signings. He was particularly excited with the rising star because he believes building a relationship with young players is a good move for the tournament.
The ASB Classic has a reputation for inviting up-and-coming tennis players. Last year, Budge also signed then-unknown Canadian athlete Bianca Andreescu to the ASB Classic. She reached the final of the tournament, losing to Germany’s Julia Görges. Andreescu eventually won the Rogers Cup and the U.S. Open later in the year.
Gauff in Auckland, ranking, and results in 2020
Currently ranked no.67 (career-high), Cori has a 1-0 win-loss record in 2020. Cori is now having a run in Auckland where she beat Viktoria Kuzmova 6-3 6-1.
Cori Gauff will come up against Siegemund in the 2nd round. They have never played each so far on the main tour.
Serena Williams in Auckland, ranking, and results in 2020
Ranked no.10, the American has a 1-0 win-loss record in 2020. The American is now playing in Auckland where she beat Camila Giorgi 6-3 6-2.
Serena Williams will compete against Mchale in the 2nd round. The head to head is 3-0 for Serena Williams.
The last time that they fought against each other, Serena Williams won 6-77 6-2 6-4 in the 2nd round in London (Wimbledon) in July 2016.
The American won 72 titles in her career: 42 on hard courts, 13 on clay courts, 7 on indoor courts, 2 on carpet courts and 8 on grass courts. (See the list of her titles)
Cori Gauff and Serena Williams have never played each other.
