"I have not met Coco Gauff... She's got such an effortless style and raw talent" - When Steffi Graf explained why she had no advice for American

Steffi Graf once shared her honest assessment of Coco Gauff's game when the American was just breaking out on tour as a teenager. Graf also explained why she didn't feel she had any valuable advice to offer Gauff.

Gauff was only 15 years old when she made a breakthrough on tour by claiming a 6-4, 6-4 victory over five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in the first round of the 2019 edition of the grasscourt Major. Later that season, the American won her first tour-level singles title at the Linz Open after beating Jelena Ostapenko in the final.

With her impressive performances, Coco Gauff established herself as a player to watch in only her first season on the WTA tour, even catching Steffi Graf's attention. While speaking to reporters at the 2019 WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai, Graf was asked whether she had any advice for the rising star.

However, the 22-time Grand Slam champion felt that Gauff did not need any advice from her, given the impressive athleticism and intensity she had already displayed on court. Graf also disclosed that while she had yet to meet the American, she had made time to watch some of her matches.

"I have not met her (Coco Gauff). But I did see her play here and there a little bit at some of the televised matches. So it doesn't seem like she needs a whole lot of advice (laughing) I mean she's, I mean just watching she seems to – talk about somebody that's enjoying herself out there, you can see her intensity and, I mean, incredible athleticism," Graf said.

Graf further said that she was looking forward to following Gauff's progress in the coming years, praising the then-15-year-old's innate talent and effortless playing style.

"So it's going to be incredible to follow her the next few years. I mean she's got such an effortless style and such raw talent. So I don't think she will need, she needs anything, any advice, the way I'm thinking," she added.

Alongside Steffi Graf, her husband and fellow tennis legend Andre Agassi has also spoken highly of Coco Gauff and her talent on the court.

"You have got Coco Gauff with potential" - Andre Agassi on WTA star following in Serena Williams' footsteps

Coco Gauff - Source: Getty

Speaking to the press at the TiE Global Summit in 2024, Andre Agassi shared his thoughts on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner bringing in a new era of men's tennis after the dominance of the 'Big 3,' Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.

With regards to the women's game, Agassi compared Serena Williams' supremacy to that of Djokovic and expressed his belief that Coco Gauff had the potential to be the next leader.

"The women’s game hasn’t had to deal with Federer, Novak, Rafa, Sinner and Alcaraz. But they have their own version of it. Serena [Williams] is the Novak of the women’s game and you have got Coco with potential," Agassi said.

Andre Agassi and Coco Gauff also share a special connection, since they have both been coached by Brad Gilbert. Gilbert once disclosed that they shared the common trait of being perfectionists.