Pam Shriver has big hopes for Coco Gauff at Wimbledon, despite her disappointment at this year’s tournament.
Gauff achieved her best ever result at Wimbledon this year, having beaten the likes of Jessica Pegula and Belinda Bencic en route to the semi-finals.
Despite having a match point in this semi-final, Gauff suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Karolina Muchova, losing out 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(10).
Pam Shriver, who is a 22-time Grand Slam doubles champion, was keeping a close eye on this match and has now made a bold prediction about what the future holds for Gauff at Wimbledon.
Pam Shriver claims Coco Gauff can win as many as seven Wimbledon titles
One thing that Gauff was notably doing throughout the Wimbledon Championships this year, including her defeat to Muchova, was coming to the net more.
From the 193 points she played against Muchova, Gauff came to the net in 45 points, and won an impressive 32 of those.
This is something that Shriver was encouraged by, and then backed Gauff to win between five and seven Wimbledon titles.
Shriver wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), “Happy to see Coco Gauff using net play so successfully. If she builds on this tactic given her skills, she will win 5-7 Wimbledon Championships.”
This would be a huge haul for Gauff, as both Serena Williams and Steffi Graf won seven singles titles at Wimbledon in their decorated careers.
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Shriver then responded to some of the comments on her social media post, including being asked whether Gauff’s forehand is still a concern for her.
“Yes forehand is a worry therefore being at net protects the forehand,” replied Shriver. “It’s obvious coming to net is the future for Coco on grass. It’s been obvious for years.”
Shriver was then asked if this tactic of coming to the net could be effective on other surfaces, and while she suggested it could on hard courts, she claimed that it may make her more vulnerable.
She answered, “Yes it can work on hard courts too but passing shots are easier for the opponent.”
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Although Gauff has been unable to capture the Wimbledon title this year, she will be rewarded for her best ever run at the grass court major.
Last year, Gauff lost in the first round of Wimbledon and now after reaching the semi-finals, she has gained 770 ranking points and is set to climb back up to world number four.
Gauff could still drop down to world number five if Muchova wins the Wimbledon title, but it is still an improvement for the American.
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The 22-year-old will now turn her attention to the US Open hard court swing, which Gauff is scheduled to begin at the Canadian Open, where she won the doubles title with McCartney Kessler last year.
Gauff is also likely to play at the Cincinnati Open, before returning to the US Open, where she won her first major singles title in 2023.
