"She's like a superstar expecting to win" - Lindsay Davenport on Coco Gauff's growth since Wimbledon 1R exit & her confidence at 2024 Australian Open

Lindsay Davenport has praised Coco Gauff, saying that she has matured as a player since her 2023 Wimbledon Championships campaign.

Gauff went into the grasscourt Major last year with high expectations on her shoulders. However, she faced a quick exit from the tournament after losing to Sofia Kenin in the first round.

After that loss, she expressed her frustration and spoke about the need for her to go back to the drawing board, work harder, and improve as a player. In the months that followed Wimbledon, Gauff made several significant breakthroughs.

The 19-year-old won the WTA 500 title in Washington D.C., clinched her first WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati, and took home her first Grand Slam at the US Open — improving her ranking to a career-high World No. 3.

Three-time Major winner Davenport praised Gauff for how she handled that Wimbledon result and stated that the American youngster has a very strong desire to add to her trophy cabinet.

"Just the way Coco Gauff is handling all of this [has stood out for me]. She's an overwhelming favorite to get through to the semis [at the 2024 Australian Open] and nothing seems to be weighing on her shoulders at all. It's one thing to say ‘okay one Major, I don't feel any pressure’ but the reality is you do. I mean, she has greatness on her mind, she wants to keep adding to that total," she told Tennis Channel.

"It's a really amazing flip from the summer when she walked off a first round loss at Wimbledon, wasn't sure what she was going to do. Fast forward six or seven months later, she's like a superstar expecting to win," she added.

At the ongoing Australian Open, Coco Gauff has reached the quarterfinals with a string of dominant performances, making her the youngest woman to do so since Agnieszka Radwanska in 2008. Additionally, she is only the third American teenager (after Tracy Austin and Chris Everet) to win more than 10 straight matches at Majors.

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Coco Gauff takes on Marta Kostyuk in the 2024 Australian Open quarterfinals

Coco Gauff in action at the 2024 Australian Open.

Coco Gauff has made a perfect start to the 2024 season, winning the ASB Classic title in Auckland while losing just one set along the way — in the final against Elina Svitolina.

At the 2024 Australian Open, she is yet to drop a set, registering four consecutive straight-set wins to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in Melbourne. Gauff will next face first-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Marta Kostyuk.

The two have faced each other only once before, with Gauff winning their second-round match 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. at the 2022 Adelaide International.