"I certainly wasn't that mature at 19" - Martina Navratilova hails Coco Gauff and her impressive performances at the 2024 Australian Open

Martina Navratilova has hailed Coco Gauff's impressive performances at the 2024 Australian Open.

After successfully defending her Auckland title at the start of the 2024 season, Gauff's form has translated to the Australian Open, where she has won all four matches in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals, extending her undefeated start to the year to 9-0.

Gauff is now the youngest woman to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals since Agnieszka Radwanska in 2008. The 19-year-old is also only the third American teenager (after Tracy Austin and Chris Everet) to win more than 10 straight matches at Majors.

Looking at Gauff's performances in Melbourne, 19-time Major winner Navratilova said that she has been impressed with the way she has stayed focused on the present and not letting the hype get to her head. The 67-year-old further said that Gauff's maturity belies her age.

"I really like how she's just taking it one match at a time. It's an old cliche but it's the only way you can get there. And so, I know she's not looking ahead because you can see it in the way she's acting on the court, the way she's playing or she's focused. She's just thinking about the next point, nothing else," she told Tennis Channel.

"And that's just massive for somebody that young. I know I certainly wasn't that mature at 19, so kudos to her and her team. I mean, she's a good listener but still to be able to do it with your head and control it that well, amazing," Navratilova added.

Another former World No. 1, Lindsay Davenport, also praised Coco Gauff for how she has matured as a player in the last few months.

---

"It has been smooth sailing" - Journalist praises Coco Gauff's run at the 2024 Australian Open

Coco Gauff in action at the 2024 Australian Open.

Coco Gauff has lost just one set this season, in the ASB Classic final against Elina Svitolina, which underlines her dominant form Down Under. At the 2024 Australian Open, the only time she looked relatively troubled was in the first set of her second-round clash against Caroline Dolehide, which she won in a tie-break.

Besides that, however, Gauff has barely put a foot wrong throughout the tournament.

Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim praised the World No. 4 for winning her matches in Melbourne without any hiccups and without expending too much energy.

"I’m really struck that we talk about processes of a career and phases and obviously winning a Major, a big breakthrough. You know what else is a breakthrough though? Getting through the matches you ought to win without any drama, without any cracks in the facade and she's just sort of beating the player she should. She's expended very little emotional energy," he said.

Wertheim also said that it would serve her well during the business end of the tournament.

"It has been such smooth sailing. The draw has been a friend of hers, but you know what, she's taking care of it. She's barely losing games and sets, and I'm thinking that things are lining up nicely, but there's no emotional energy expanded, I think that'll serve her well in week two," he added.

First-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Marta Kostyuk now stands between Coco Gauff and a spot in the Australian Open semifinals.