Coco Gauff’s former coach, Brad Gilbert, has predicted that the upcoming US Open could surprisingly see a first-time winner in the women’s division, as he believes Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek no longer appear invincible on the court as they once did.
During the episode of ‘The Big T Podcast,’ Gilbert presented his bold prediction for this year’s US Open. He said that there has been a sudden drop in Sabalenka’s and Swiatek’s dominance, which has made them appear “beatable,” giving other players the confidence to believe they can beat them and possibly win big at Flushing Meadows.
“I feel like at the US Open we will have another surprise winner and maybe another first-time winner because I do think that Sabalenka’s and Iga’s levels have come down, I think that other players are now sort of taking advantage, and it’s a ‘show me League.’ If all of a sudden, you’re not appearing as invincible, players feel like, ‘you know what? You are beatable for the first time,'” Said Gilbert (32:00).
Gilbert also believes that Sabalenka could still discover her best form and bring it to the court soon.
Recently, both Sabalenka and Swiatek faced startling losses at the All England Club. While Swiatek got knocked down by Alexandra Eala in the third round, Sabalenka went one round ahead but then lost to Naomi Osaka in two sets in the round of 16.
Coco Gauff’s ex-coach Highlights Narrow Gap in Women’s Tennis Ahead of the US Open
While discussing Aryna Sabalenka’s and Iga Swiatek’s recent struggles during the grass court season, Coco Gauff’s ex-coach, Brad Gilbert, believes that the women’s US Open draw has now opened up greatly, where even a player who is ranked No. 20 could be a definite challenge to the World No. 1.
Comparing the difference in the playing level with men’s ranking, Gilbert said:
“Unlike the men’s, there’s a massive difference between Sinner at 1 and the player at 5, let alone 15. But right now, Sabalenka is at No. 1, and you go down to 20, and the separation is very small,” said Gilbert (31:36).
The US Open will run from August 30 to September 13.
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