Jamie Murray has made headlines for inadvertently overlooking Coco Gauff while discussing the top contenders for the Australian Open title. The doubles champion and brother of Sir Andy Murray expressed his thoughts about the women’s quarter-finalists but initially forgot to mention Gauff, who is currently ranked third in the world. Gauff, having advanced to this stage in the tournament, aims to replicate her best performance from 2024 when she reached the semi-finals.
As the 21-year-old French Open champion prepares to face Elina Svitolina, the 12th seed, in the quarter-finals, Murray’s omission drew attention. Other favorites mentioned by Murray include World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, a two-time winner at the Australian Open, and the second seed Iga Swiatek, who has won six Grand Slam titles, but has yet to claim victory in Melbourne. Commenting on Gauff’s capabilities, he acknowledged her impressive competitive spirit and movement on the court, suggesting she possesses a powerful game, particularly with her serve.
During the discussion on TNT Sports, Tim Henman reminded Murray of his previous prediction regarding fourth seed Amanda Anisimova possibly making a deep run, to which Murray humorously responded that he was alone in that prediction.
As the conversation continued, TNT host Laura Robson pointed out Murray’s oversight regarding Gauff. Recognizing his mistake, Murray apologized to Gauff and highlighted her recent performance, noting the significant challenges she faced in her earlier matches against Kamilla Rakhimova, Olga Danilovic, Hailey Baptiste, and Karolina Muchova.
Gauff, who expressed her enthusiasm for the second week of Grand Slam tournaments, stated that it enhances the competitive spirit of the matches. She relishes the challenge of facing higher-ranked opponents and views the opportunity as a chance to showcase her skills.
With Gauff poised to take the court as a favorite against Svitolina, anticipation builds not only for the match ahead but for the potential of her claiming her first Australian Open title. The excitement surrounding her journey exemplifies the thrill of the tournament and the fierce competitive landscape in women’s tennis.