Barty’s praise for Sabalenka came after the defending champion’s impressive run through the draw. Speaking about the Belarusian player, Barty remarked, “Yeah, it’s a wide-open tournament. I think purely from the bits and pieces that I’ve seen, I think Sabalenka is the one to beat.” Barty highlighted Sabalenka’s confidence, clarity, and dominance on the court, emphasizing her ability to sweep through the draw with ease.
Reflecting on Sabalenka’s form, Barty noted, “And, when she’s in that kind of form, it’s really hard to knock her off. I think she’s got the ability to blow anyone away, and if she keeps going the way that she’s going, I think that she’s the one to beat.”
While Sabalenka earned the nod from Barty as the favorite, the Australian tennis star also acknowledged the rising talent of 19-year-old American prodigy, Coco Gauff. Barty expressed admiration for Gauff’s growth in confidence and experience with each tournament, describing her achievements at such a young age as truly remarkable.
Barty’s optimism about Gauff’s chances in the tournament was evident as she stated, “I love to see her grow with confidence and experience with every tournament she plays. I believe what Coco Gauff has achieved at this age is truly remarkable, and she can bank on that experience and trust herself going forward. I believe Gauff is more than good enough to win the tournament.”
022 AO Champ @AshBarty gives her prediction on who will win this year’s #AusOpen đź‘€ #TCLive pic.twitter.com/aBl0P6TytH
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 21, 2024
As the Australian Open progresses, the competition remains fierce, with Sabalenka and Gauff emerging as key players to watch. Barty’s insights add intrigue to the tournament narrative, highlighting the clash between the seasoned champion and the young sensation as they vie for the prestigious title in Melbourne.
Gauff at the Australian Open, ranking, and results in 2024
WWWLLWLWWL Currently the world no.4, Coco has managed to achieve a 9-0 match record in 2024. Gauff is participating at the Australian Open where she defeated the world no.68 Anna Schmiedlova 6-3 6-0, the world no.43 Caroline Dolehide 7-62 6-2, the world no.82 Alycia Parks 6-0 6-2 and the world no.69 Magdalena Frech 6-1 6-2.
Coco Gauff will square off with the world no.37 Marta Kostyuk in the quarter on Tuesday at 1:00 pm on Rod Laver Arena. Their current record is 1-0 for Gauff.
Coco conquered 1 title in 2024 in Auckland.
Gauff won 7 titles in her career: 5 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts and 1 on indoor courts. (See the list of her titles)
