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Former WTA pro-turned-analyst Andrea Petkovic recently looked back on losing to Coco Gauff in 2019, which marked the then-teenager's first full tour-level season. The German also spoke in depth about what made Gauff's game special, ultimately contributing to her French Open triumph last Sunday (June 8).
Gauff showed immense grit during her campaign in Paris, overcoming World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 in two hours and 38 minutes to secure her second career Major title. The women's singles summit clash saw the second seed coerce the Belarusian into hitting a slew of unforced errors from the baseline, which is a tactic that has since received rich praise from former World No. 9 Petkovic.
Speaking to Boris Becker earlier this week as part of the Becker Petkovic podcast, the 37-year-old looked back on how she had dropped her lone career meeting with Coco Gauff at the 2019 Linz Open in straight sets. She joked that losing to the two-time Major winner at the age of 15 was an eye-opener for her before taking a deep dive into what made the American special.
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"I played Coco Gauff and lost, and Coco Gauff was 15 years old at the time when I lost to her. A moment of silence for Andrea Petkovic's career," Andrea Petkovic told Boris Becker while laughing. "I lost to a 15-year-old, and that's when my career went downhill. I stopped playing tennis exactly eight months later."
"I trained with her often. I know what it feels like to play against her. And I think there were two very different mentalities on the court. But playing against Coco Gauff is incredibly exhausting because she makes the court feel so small," she added. "Not just moved side to side, she's one of the best athletes we have on tour. She gets to an incredible number of balls, that's not even the main thing. There are many players on tour who retrieve a lot of balls. She reads short balls much faster than anyone else."
During the interaction, she also commended Gauff's court sense while comparing her with Aryna Sabalenka, who is known for her relentless aggression.
"Coco Gauff doesn't hit like Aryna Sabalenka, she doesn't immediately blast a winner past you" - Andrea Petkovic
Andrea Petkovic explained in her Substack column following the 2025 French Open final that the World No. 2 had an innate ability to anticipate and pounce on short balls from her opponents. The German reiterated her praise of the 21-year-old's tactical aptitude yet again while speaking to Becker this week.
"And she doesn't hit like a Sabalenka. Meaning, she doesn't immediately blast a winner past you," Petkovic said. "But she takes the ball early, and that throws you off, because you think: 'Actually, I should be the one attacking her. Especially the forehand - here's not that much power coming off it.' The ball often lands short, especially on hardcourt."
Gauff, meanwhile, is currently enjoying the spoils of her latest Major title victory back home before she starts her grasscourt season. The American is scheduled to play at the Berlin Ladies Open next week, which will be a lead-up event to this year's Wimbledon.
