Tennis legend Jim Courier is not worried by the absence of the Big3 at the Miami Open as the tournament will still be full of stars such as Cori Gauff, Naomi Osaka and Daniil Medvedev. This is what the former world no.1 said during an interview with People Magazine in contrast to some journalists that are putting too much attention on the absence of some top guns.
“The tournament always fields all the best players who are healthy and the pandemic hasn’t changed that. The draw will be full of stars,” Courier commented.
Talking about the top favorites in the ATP and WTA draws, Jim pointed his attention on Naomi Osaka and Daniil Medvedev, saying:
“Some of the young players, like Naomi Osaka and Daniil Medvedev, are really taking flight and it will be fun to see if they can keep their recent form.”
About Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff has just turned 17 and she will probably be one the biggest stars of the event if she manages to have a good run. Coco lives in Delray Beach and therefore she is extremely accustomed to the conditions. In addition, she is expected to have strong support from the local crowd.
“She [Gauff] is already in the top 40 in the world rankings and will be a significant force in women’s tennis over the next 10 to 20 years. She is also from South Florida, so I expect her to get some big crowd support.”
Cori Gauff in 2021
Now ranked no.36, the American played her last match on the 11th of March when she capitulated to Jil Belen Teichmann 6-3 6-3
in the quarter in Dubai (draw).This season Cori achieved a 11-5 match record. Cori Gauff’s most significant result of the present year was getting to the semifinal in Adelaide.
Naomi Osaka in 2021
Currently ranked no.2, Osaka played her last match on the 20th of February when she defeated Jennifer Brady 6-4 6-3 in the final of the Australian Open to win her 7th career title.
At present, during this year Osaka has a composed 10-0 win-loss record. Naomi has won 1 title at the Australian Open.
Cori Gauff and Naomi Osaka faced off only on 2 occasions. Their current head to head is 1-1. Previously, the last time when they squared off, Cori Gauff won 6-3 6-4 in the 3rd round in Melbourne (Australian Open) in January 2020.
In the following video you can watch the key moments of their match.
Daniil Medvedev in 2021
Currently ranked no.2 (career-high), Daniil played his last match on the 14th of March when he beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4 6-7(4) 6-4 in the final in Marseille to win his 10th career title.
Currently, during this year Medvedev has a 14-2 win-loss record. Daniil conquered 1 title in Marseille. Daniil was the runner-up at the Australian Open.