Ons Jabeur applauds Coco Gauff's spirit, foresees her joining WTA's Big 4

American tennis phenom Coco Gauff has established herself as a force on the WTA tour, and rival Ons Jabeur believes the young star could be the final member of the "Big 4" in women's tennis.

Gauff squared off against Jabeur in a thrilling quarterfinal match at the ongoing Roland Garros tournament. The 20-year old rallied from a set down to record a 6-4 6-2 6-3 victory over her crafty opponent, booking her spot in yet another Grand Slam semifinal.

Following her loss, Jabeur had nothing but praise for her American opponent. The Tunisian was asked whether she had noticed any improvements in Gauff's game over the past few years.

"You have now played Coco a number of times. A few general questions. Do you think she's improving? Could you just talk about what makes her such a great player and can she go to the very...I mean, she's almost at the very top, but can you she go and be a really dominant player in the future?" asked a tennis journalist.

Jabeur, known for her competitive yet humble nature, responded by highlighting Gauff's fighting spirit. Furthermore, the World No.9 believes Gauff belongs in the same conversation as the other three dominant women on tour; Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina.

"Yeah, I think Coco is an amazing player," replied Jabeur. "My favorite thing about Coco is her fighting spirit. I think she's playing great tennis right now, but I saw her playing better before. Obviously she's such a fighter, she always try to find ways, she's really smart on the court.
"I definitely see her becoming, you know, maybe the Big 4. They have the Big 3 right now (smiling). Yeah, I think she has a long way -- she's what, No. 3 right now? And having a lot of things to improve, it's actually good news for a player."