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Coco Gauff's fondness for basketball star Caitlin Clark isn't a secret in the tennis world as the American never misses a chance to express her admiration for the former Iowa standout. She did so once again after her win in the opening round of the Stuttgart Open.
Gauff faced a tough challenge against qualifier Sachia Vickery in Stuttgart on April 17. Despite losing the second set 4-6, the reigning US Open champion showed her resilience, ultimately coming out on top with a score of 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.
After her match, Gauff spoke with the media and shared insights into her journey, revealing that she had once considered basketball before fully committing to tennis. She also recounted how her father, Corey, thought that she would have been a great fit in the WNBA.
"Yeah, it's funny because my dad was actually talking about that," Gauff said. "He was, like, 'You would have been right up there. You would have been a sophomore. I would have had you shooting Js and everything.'"
The 20-year-old then brought up former Iowa star Caitlin Clark and mentioned that in another life, she would love to be on the same team as Clark to see if she could guard her on the basketball court.
"I don't know if I would be that type of player, but I will say if I could go in another life I would love to play on the same time as Caitlin Clark just to see if I could guard her. Obviously now I definitely couldn't, but I don't know, if I trained for it, just to see," Coco Gauff said.
Coco Gauff: "I'm excited to see Caitlin Clark's first game, and Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso"
Gauff expressed her excitement about the increasing fame of women's basketball, highlighting the attention it's receiving.
The American is especially eager to watch Caitlin Clark's debut with the Indiana Fever alongside Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso's first match with the Chicago Sky. Clark was the top pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, with Cardoso following at No. 3 and Reese at No. 7.
"It's very exciting to see the women's game especially in basketball getting as much traction now. They definitely deserve it," Coco Gauff said.
"I think it's great that people are paying attention to it. I'm just really excited to see Caitlin Clark's first game, and Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. I'm really excited to see them on the same team too," she added.
Gauff is set to face either fifth seed Zheng Qinwen or unseeded Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Stuttgart Open on April 19.
