
At the young age of 20, American tennis phenom Coco Gauff has already established a resume that would make several veterans jealous. However, the World No.2 possesses an aura and maturity beyond her years, a trait that has been highlighted by former World No.1 Andy Roddick.
Gauff competed at her first Olympic Games as a singles competitor at the ongoing Paris Olympics, but failed to win a medal in any of the singles or doubles events. Regardless, the reigning US Open champion has a lengthy summer to look forward to, as she intends to surpass the benchmarks she reached last year.
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Roddick praises Gauff for her intelligence at such a young age
The 2003 US Open champion made an appearance on The Tennis Channel Podcast, where he expressed his admiration for Gauff, who has been branded by many as "the next Serena Williams". Roddick admitted he felt embarrassed being around Gauff, due to her intelligence and confidence at the young age of 20, traits that he himself lacked at that age.
"She is a grown-up," Roddick said. "Like, I am embarrassed for the 20-yo version of myself whenever am around her. Honestly. She is phenomenal, she is intelligent, she is talented and confident...She is just great.
"You can also see her teammates, don't regret her, like generally, they like her. They really, really do and I think it's just a huge deal for tennis to be friend-setter."
"You can also see her teammates, don't regret her, like generally, they like her. They really, really do and I think it's just a huge deal for tennis to be friend-setter."
Gauff was chosen as the female flag bearer for the United States during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games. The Atlanta native shared that honor alongside NBA superstar LeBron James, who was selected to be the male flag bearer.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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- I, like writer of this wonderful article, also picked Noskova to win this entire thing. I would love it if she and Andreeva are in the final.Rapunzel12-11-2026
- "Priorities", Saba... spend less time in front of cameras, anti-Social Media, selfies and back to Tennis.
mandoist12-11-2026 - Tell this to Andreeva!
mandoist12-11-2026 - Andreeva with 11 games in a row to add to Saba's downward spiral issue !!! Personal feelings aside... Jess Pegula may want to reassess her evaluation of Mirra's abilities.
mandoist12-11-2026 - I predicted whenthe list was finalised that Linda Noskova would win the WTA Finals and her matches against Gauff and Kostyuk prove that. She is the best (underrated) player in the world!Rapunzel11-11-2026
- Either Lena has a chronic internal ailment (i.e., colitis, enteritis, Crohn's, or some type of lower abdomen issue) -- or she is once again dealing with 'Vukovitis'. Mental stress can indeed cause lower body pains. No matter... whatever is truly going on sucks. "Virus" excuse is getting a bit old -- and often -- at this point.
mandoist09-11-2026 - Ironically, Martina became a U.S. Citizen about the same time as the Orange Convicted Felon & Abuser was just beginning on his road to losing all Daddy's Millions!!
mandoist09-11-2026 - "Another fresh start is in the cards." Thanks for the Humor!! I'm guessing this is the minimum one can do to keep all your sponsors hanging-on in perpetuity?
mandoist09-11-2026 - Vukov is doing this to Lena... AGAIN!!!!! WTA's autonomous collective should be dismantled for allowing Vukov to re-emerge from his hand-slapping suspension. Just ask WTA employees how that's been going lately as they witness his continued verbal abuses. Women's Pro Tennis should start over.
mandoist08-11-2026 - Can't help but suspect Vukov is back to his old self again. Thank you, WTA. Perhaps you can give them a "Battling Couple of the Year Award 2026" ??
mandoist08-11-2026








