Remember the clash that made the then-teenager Coco Gauff famous in the tennis circuit back in 2019? It was on Court No.1 where Gauff celebrated the first massive win of her career: defeating Venus Williams, marking her arrival on the Grand Slam scene. Since then, her career has been on an upward trajectory, and she is back at Wimbledon on the same court. This time not as a qualifier, but as a top player hungry for another grand slam. But not every tennis fan is happy with Gauff’s presence here!
What’s so special about the Centre Court and Court No.1? These two courts underwent a huge makeover some time ago, consequently boasting superior infrastructure, more show and solution to London’s topsy-turvy weather, and retractable roofs. And it seems Gauff has captured the hearts of tennis fans as most of her matches are scheduled on either of the two courts. A happy news for some as World N0.2 has been playing on the show courts.
But one tennis insider was not happy with Gauff’s past performance at the Wimbledon Open. And he took to X to express his discontent with Gauff on these two courts. Last year Gauff made a sad first-round exit, while the year before that in 2022, she was able to extend her campaign till the third round, in addition to her famous Venus William upset debut. But nothing could satisfy the disgruntled Chris Goldsmith:
Maybe he is unable to think of anyone else. But others can certainly think of a few names as they came in defence of the young tennis sensation, as she embarks on having a positive and productive experience on the Grass courts of London.
Tennis community stands in support of Coco Gauff against critics
Gauff may not have had a successful campaign on the grass till now. But the 20-year-old has certainly proven her mettle on the tennis circuit as she claimed the US Open 2023 as a teenager and her steady performance at the French Open in the last two years. In addition, she has also grabbed the Women’s double title on the red dirt this year. If this feat falls short for some, then add the weight of being the World No.2. This would certainly make the case for the Americans.
Some tennis fans agree with it, as they take a jibe at the critic. They said, “It truly is a mystery as to why the 2023 US Open winner and current world number two would play on Court 1 and Centre Court at Wimbledon…” Supporting this statement, another tennis enthusiast jumped into the conversation questioning why Gauff wouldn’t be on this court. “She’s the world #2 and a Grand Slam champion. Why wouldn’t she be on the show courts?”
However, another supporter viewed this situation from a different prism: a fan’s prism. Applauding Gauff for her remarkable feat at the early stage of her career, which helped her gain a massive fan following in London itself. Hence, why wouldn’t people want to see a giant killer becoming a giant herself?
They said, “The amount of headlines she made when she played here as a 15-year-old won her A LOT of British fans. She is world number 2, a favorite for the title, and is a superstar. Did you ask the same question about Osaka?” Well, Osaka is yet to win a Grand Slam on the Grass court. The hard courter is yet to find her grip on the London greens!
Who wouldn’t want to watch the younger generation taking charge head on? Everyone! Therefore, what is the best way to draw viewers towards tennis other than showing the strong contenders’ journey to millions? And this tennis fan hit the nerve, as he said, “Again, do u people have no concept of what it means to draw in viewers?”
That was not all. In the end, the critic was seen as an attention-monger by some tennis fans. They highlighted his pattern of drawing people’s attention. “For anyone that doesn’t know already: any tweet about Emma, Coco or Iga is just him trying to bait engagement because he’s a massive attention seeker,” claimed another tennis fan.
Though there may be some heartbreaks for not being scheduled to play on the major courts of the Grass Slam, like for the 2-time finalist, Ons Jabeur, who failed to get a Center Court slot for the opening rounds. But Gauff is playing where she should be!