Serena Williams’ childhood coach Rick March recently expressed her thoughts on Coco Gauff’s mentality while reviewing the Australian Open for NBC News.
Coco Gauff won her first Grand Slam title in thrilling fashion at last year’s US Open, overcoming a set deficit to beat world No. 2 Alina Saba Aryna Sabalenka. The 19-year-old followed up Flushing Meadows with a semi-final in Melbourne, but lost to the Belarusian in a replay of the New York final.
Against this backdrop, Rick March was asked to talk about his expectations for the American in 2024. The famous coach began by insisting that her recent Grand Slam run was impressive considering she is only 19 years old.
March then raved about her backhand and then had some words to say about her mentality. He finds his attitude on court to be comparable to that displayed by 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer during his illustrious career.
“She’s not going anywhere, we’ve talked about that before. She’s a teenager and one of the best backhands on the tour,” Rick March said on NBC. “But I actually like her spine more than her backhand.
“I love her motto, ‘No Days Off.’ Coco is only going to get better. And what I really love is that she has a Roger Federer mentality.”
Check out the quote from 2:40 below:
Rick March believes Coco Gauff can win ‘double-digit’ Grand Slam titles
Rick Macci is a firm believer in Coco Gauff’s skills. Last week, the American reiterated his belief in the teenager’s mentality before claiming his Grand Slam score could reach double figures.
“Asked how many majors @CocoGauff can win. Because I love her BACKBONE as much as her BACKHAND, Delray Dart can order double digits off the menu,” Macci said on his X (previously) ’s Twitter) account wrote.
At just 19 years old, Coco Gauff has already created a stellar career. In addition to winning the 2023 US Open, the American also reached the 2022 French Open final and the 2024 Australian Open semi-finals.
Additionally, the teenage prodigy has won seven WTA titles since turning professional in 2018. She had the best season of her career last year, winning four titles and recording nine wins against top-10 opponents.
Gauff is also a formidable player in doubles, rising to world No. 1 last September alongside good friend Jessica Pegula.Overall, she won 8 women’s doubles titles with Pegula (5) and Katie McNally (3)