Wimbledon has seen seven different women’s singles champions in the last seven years. There will be an eighth if Elena Rybakina doesn’t go on to win her second title.
Many see it as a sign of flux, but second seed Coco Gauff, who could have been in prime position to add to that eclectic list if not for a 4-6, 3-6 loss to compatriot Emma Navarro late on Sunday, sees it for what it is — depth of the field.
“I don’t want to say that just because I didn’t really watch [tennis] years and years ago, but being on Tour now, I do think there is depth,” the 20-year-old said. “When I look at the past champions of this tournament, you’ll see people winning like three, four times in a row. If you’re Martina [Navratilova], a couple more than that.
“When you see seven different champions, that shows there’s so much depth. In the past, you would almost look at a player and say, ‘yeah, she’s guaranteed a quarterfinal spot’. You can’t really say that now.”
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Navarro is a good example of that. The 23-year-old American has backed up her maiden Slam fourth-round appearance, at the French Open, with a surge into the quarters here.
Gauff admitted to being outplayed but was also mildly critical of her coaching team led by former player Brad Gilbert.
“We had a game plan going in, and I felt it wasn’t working. I don’t always ask for advice from the box, but today [Sunday] I felt like I wanted more direction. They usually give me something, [but] I don’t think we were all in sync. It’s no one’s blame except myself. I’m the player out there and I have to make decisions for myself.”
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