Coco Gauff’s Deep Admiration for Rafael Nadal From Intensity to Grace: Tennis Updates 2024

It was undoubtedly an emotional moment when Rafael Nadal was sent off last week by the Mutua Madrid Open organizers with a special homage ceremony. Because it was his last tour stop at the Caja Magica.

Coco Gauff finally realized that the 22-time major champion’s career was coming to an end as she took in the scene.
The fact that he was not yet retiring really touched home. Now that I witnessed the brief ceremony that followed, I realized that this was real life, for genuine,” Gauff told the media in Rome on Tuesday.

One of the things about Rafael Nadal that has connected with so many people throughout the years is the way he performs. Gauff, among others, mentioned him specifically as the player who consistently captures her interest.

I respect the intensity and mindset he possesses. In all honesty, he’s probably the only player that I would actually completely lose myself in his practice while I was practicing next to him, the woman remarked.

“On tour, I’ve worked out with some amazing players. The only person my eye lingers on is him. It’s something about him, his aura, and the fervor with which he performs things, no offense to other players. Simply put, it’s something I can look up to as a young player.

Gauff finds admiration in more than simply Nadal’s style of play. When the cameras are not recording, it’s the little things that matter most.

“Just his demeanor of grace. He’s a really kind guy. He gave me a pat on the back and said, “Hey, nice job,” at Roland Garros the year before. Gauff recounted, “I couldn’t believe he spoke to me, so I didn’t respond until like 20 tiles down the stairs.”
“I believe that small details like that are what I’ll miss about the tour.”

Gauff wants to gain a lot of momentum before the Paris major. The 20-year-old, who lost to fellow countrywoman Madison Keys in the fourth round of the Internazionali BNL D’italia, is hoping to improve on one area of her game this time around.

“Last week, I had about 14 double-faults despite losing 6-4 in the third set. The defending US Open champion commented, “This is like four or five games.” “I believe that if I correct that small issue in these matches against Madi, who is a very good player, it will help me and perhaps those matches will result in wins in straight sets rather than losses in three sets.”

The global No. 3 will begin her campaign against Ashlyn Krueger, a Polish woman, and Magdalena Frech, the winner of Poland.

Also Read: The Unrivaled Rivalry of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in Rome: Tennis Updates 2024