Italian Open: Fans Treat Coco Gauff as the Imposter Among Danielle Collins, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek’s SF Line-up

In the 2023 season, Coco Gauff established herself in the top echelons of the racket game after not only winning her first Grand Slam but also her first WTA 1000 title. However, the American tennis prodigy has now failed to emulate such triumphant performances this season, as she failed to reach a championship game after her campaign at the ASB Classic. Due to her recent lackluster campaigns on the tour, including her clay court performances, the reigning US Open champion has now become a target of scrutiny from fans on social media.

As she is currently a top-three player on the WTA Tour, there have been a lot of expectations surrounding the 20-year-old player. But it appears that Gauff has fallen short of the lofty expectations set by fans, as she has struggled during the clay court swing season. After clinching a hard-fought victory against Sachia Vickery at the Stuttgart Open, the third-seeded Gauff failed to overcome the unseeded Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals. Even at the Madrid Open, the American player failed to reach the latter rounds of the WTA 1000 category event.

After defeating Dayana Yastremska and Arantxa Rus, the current number 3 player tasted a round of 16 defeat at the hands of her compatriot, Madison Keys. Now, even though she has reached the semifinals of the Italian Open, Gauff showed signs of her recent struggling form as she also conceded a bagel set against her unseeded opponent, Jaqueline Cristian, in the initial round. Even in the round of 16, the American struggled against Paula Badosa, as she had to pull off a hard-fought comeback after dropping the first set.

In light of her recent struggles, a flurry of fans brutally labeled Gauff as an imposter in the Italian Open semifinal lineup featuring other top-ranked players.

Despite reaching the Italian Open semifinal, Coco Gauff gets brutally trolled by fans

In the semifinals, Gauff will be up against the ‘Queen of the Clay’ and the current number 1 player, Iga Świątek, who recently won the title in Madrid. The other semifinal fixture will feature two in-form players, Danielle Collins and Aryna Sabalenka, who performed brilliantly this season. The Belarusian player clinched her second Grand Slam title while she recently secured a runners-up finish at the Madrid Open. Collins is also on a roll this season, winning back-to-back titles in Miami and Charleston.

Gauff, on the other hand, is the only one in this semifinal lineup who has failed to reach a final in the previous seven events on the WTA Tour. Notably, a fan recently took a brutal dig at the American player by presenting her as an imposter among the three best players this season.

The American tennis prodigy’s forehand issues are considered as one of the ‘what ifs’ as they have led to a number of errors on the court. Notably, a user recently lashed out at Gauff for her forehand while comparing it to those of others in the semifinal lineup.