By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Coco Gauff is aware of all in regards to the calls for of multi-tasking on clay courts.
The previous French Open finalist in singles and doubles launches her clay marketing campaign in Stuttgart this week with a twin objective.
The 2022 Roland Garros runner-up is on a mission to win her first clay-court title since 2021 and make a run at Roland Garros.
“I feel clay and onerous are positively my favourite surfaces,” Gauff advised the media in Stuttgart as we speak. “Once more, I can play properly on all of them relying on how I present as much as a event, actually.
“However for the clay courtroom season this yr, I am actually optimistic. Clearly the objective is to win French Open, however that is each season of any high participant. I imply, your objectives ought to be to attempt to win the massive event.”
Reigning US Open champion Gauff owns a 15-4 profession file and 79 p.c profession successful proportion at Roland Garros—her finest successful proportion at a Grand Slam.
“However I am not French Open proper now. I am targeted on Stuttgart,” Gauff advised the media in Stuttgart. “You understand, I need to win, attempt to win Madrid or Rome or right here, simply because I am unable to keep in mind — the final time I received a clay courtroom title was, like, a pair years in the past if I am not mistaken.
“So I form of simply need to get a current clay title underneath my belt. So any of those alongside the following couple weeks can be good.”
Gearing up her recreation for clay, Gauff has reunited with former coach Jean-Cristophe Faurel including him to her workforce headed by coach Brad Gilbert.
“I added Jean-Christophe, I name him J.C., to my workforce. I began with him after I was 14,” Gauff stated. “He was with me with that unimaginable run at Wimbledon. It really wasn’t both of our selections to cease working collectively. He was having visa points and could not get into the U.S. for, like, a very long time, a pair years.
“So as soon as he bought that every one found out and it turned an ideal alternative and the timing labored to be again collectively, I knew once we had stopped I at all times wished to return to him when all of that stuff bought sorted.
“So the timing labored the place I used to be in search of somebody, and we labored properly collectively. I am actually excited to be again with him. It is good to have somebody on my workforce that is aware of me since I used to be younger and is aware of me properly. So I am actually, actually excited to have him again on the workforce.”
Picture credit score: Internazionali BNL d’Italia