Novak Djokovic makes major statement on Cori Gauff's rise and game

• Tennis News
• Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic feels Cori Gauff is "coming very close" to being ready to win Grand Slams and dominate the women's game. Gauff, 19, introduced herself to the tennis world when she defeated Venus Williams en route to reaching the Wimbledon round-of-16 as a 15-year-old girl in 2019.

Since then, Gauff has been to one Grand Slam final and has also been ranked as high as No 4 in the world. Prior to the start of the North American hard-court swing, Gauff added Andre Agassi's former long-time coach Brad Gilbert to her team.

Since adding Gilbert, Gauff won Washington and also became a WTA 1000 champion in Cincinnati. Now, Gauff is aiming to win her first Grand Slam title at the US Open and Djokovic says the American is deservedly having high hopes at Flushing Meadows this year.

Djokovic thinks 'things are coming together' for Gauff

"And Coco is on the rise. I think, you know, she's yet to win a Grand Slam, but played in the finals. She's still young, but now Brad Gilbert on her side with the great experience of coaching some of the greats, I think things are coming together for her.

She played really good tennis in Cincinnati and also she's been playing well here. She's got the home support, of course, which is always welcome and needed. Physically she seems to be very fit. She's striking the ball very well.

You know, I think she broke to the kind of top of the women's game quite early. Some years ago I think she was like 16, 17, when she played fourth round of Wimbledon. But it still takes some time, a few years for things to come together where you feel that you are complete as a player, that you are ready to win slams and dominate the game.

I think she's coming very close to that stage and that level. So I'm sure that she has very high hopes for US Open and she should, because she's playing really well," Djokovic said.