Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff have made headlines over the past year for their impressive performances on the court. The two stars have proved that the next generation of young players are ready to take over the mantle from tennis legends such as Serena Williams. In a recent interview, former French Open champion, Iva Majoli, suggested that women’s tennis is lucky to have young successful players such as Osaka and Gauff.
Iva Majoli recently praised Osaka and Gauff for their contributions
At 23-years old, Osaka has already won three Grand Slam titles, and she has spent time at the top of the WTA tennis rankings. On the other hand, Gauff had a spectacular break out season in 2020. The American tennis star became one of the youngest players to reach the fourth round as a wild card at last year’s Wimbledon. Coco went on to win her first singles title at the Linz Open. During her interview, Iva praised the two young players and claimed that their contributions to the game would help women’s tennis. The Croatian feels that Gauff and Osaka have proved that they can competently replace Serena Williams as the face of women’s tennis.
Iva feels that the current generation of players can play well into their thirties
During her playing days, Iva had success at a young age. She won her only Grand Slam title at the 1997 French Open when she was only 20 years old. The 43-year-old retired in 2004 after winning eight singles titles. Iva feels that the current generation of players has benefited from an increased focus on nutrition and fitness routines which enables them to take care of their bodies and have longer careers. In her interview, the Croatian said, “I think most of us, between 26 and 30, we retired, which now I think they keep playing till mid-thirties.”
In addition to offering her praise to Gauff and Osaka, Iva was also impressed with Iga Świątek’s recent win at the French Open. The 19-year-old defeated Sofia Kenin in the final to win her first Grand Slam title. Iva congratulated the Polish tennis star for the win, and she offered some advice for Świątek since she also won the Roland Garros at a young age. The Croatian claimed that the French Open champion would have to adjust her mindset in future matches since she would no longer be an underdog. Iva pointed out that players such as Serena and Roger Federer had managed to dominate their opponents for so long because they had successfully handled the mental pressure of being the favorite in every match. Iva also urged the new generation of players to avoid wasting their time on social media and focus more on tennis. The 43-year-old is currently the Fed Cup coach for Croatia, and she is hoping to guide the team to next year’s finals.
Cori Gauff in 2020
Now the world no.48, Cori played her last match on the 22nd of October when she was overcome by Aryna Sabalenka 1-6 7-5 7-62 in the 2nd round in Ostrava.
Cori Gauff’s best result of the present season was getting to the semi-finals in Lexington.
Naomi Osaka in 2020
Currently ranked no.3, the Japanese played her last match on the 12th of September when she defeated Victoria Azarenka 1-6 6-3 6-3 in the final of the U.S. Open to win her 6th career title.
Currently, this year the Japanese has an overall 16-3 record. The Japanese conquered 1 title at the U.S. Open. Osaka reached the final in New York.
Cori Gauff and Naomi Osaka played each other twice. The head to head is 1-1. The last time that they played, Cori Gauff won 6-3 6-4 in the 3rd round in Melbourne (Australian Open) on the 24th of January 2020.
