"Coco Gauff has so much room to improve, I think she can be No. 1" - Former player and coach Petar Popovic

Although she is yet to win her first singles title this season, Coco Gauff has impressed with her performances, starting the year as a 22nd-ranked player and now at a career-high position of No. 8.

Out of the 51 singles matches she has played this year, the 18-year-old has managed to win 34 of them. Her best result came at the French Open, where she reached her first Grand Slam final, but fell to World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in straight sets in the title clash.

Speaking on The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast recently, former Serbian player and coach Petar Popovic showered praise on the young American. The 40-year-old lauded Gauff for her aggressive game style, revealed how she was at advantage on clay and slower hard surfaces, and stated that she could become the World No. 1.

"She is an incredible mover with explosive power," Popovic said. "On clay or very slow hard, she's good because she gets a lot of spin, so she has time. She's young and her goal needs to be to improve every week, every month. I don't know her ranking, but I think she's in the top 20 and has so much room to improve, which is very good. I think she can be No. 1."

The last match that Gauff played was the quarterfinals at the US Open, where she lost 6-3, 6-4 to Caroline Garcia of France. She won her first four matches at Flushing Meadows without dropping a set.

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Coco Gauff gears up for San Diego Open

Coco Gauff in action during the 2022 US Open

Coco Gauff is all set to return to the competition for the first time since the 2022 US Open. The San Diego Open, a WTA 500 event, is scheduled to be held from October 10-16 and features top players like Iga Swiatek, Paula Badosa, Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Maria Sakkari, Caroline Garcia, Daria Kasatkina, and Gauff.

This is the inaugural edition of the tournament and one of the most anticipated matches is a potential clash between top-seed Swiatek and sixth-seed Gauff in the third round. The Pole has already received a bye in her first round and will face the winner of the match between 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and Garbine Muguruza.

Gauff, on the other hand, will take on a qualifier in her first match and will wait for the winner between Bianca Andreescu and Beatriz Haddad Maia in the second round.