US Open 2021: Coach Patrick Mouratoglou on Stefanos Tsitsipa's chances, Coco Gauff's growth

The 2021 US Open kicked off on Monday as tennis' Grand Slam calendar year inches towards its end. This year’s tournament in Queens will give fans a look at the sport without four of its biggest icons. Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal each withdrew from the US Open with injuries. The last time there was a US Open without the quartet was a quarter of a century ago.

Despite the loss of star power, the US Open still boasts plenty of exciting stories (Novak Djokovic’s hunt for a calendar slam and career Grand Slam title leader, Naomi Osaka’s return and defense of her 2020 title) and young players entering the tournament with increasing stock, including two of coach Patrick Mouratoglou’s own players, Cori “Coco” Gauff and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

In an interview with CBS Sports, Mouratoglou shared the prospects for his players as well as how he helps cultivate tennis.

In 2019, Gauff stepped into the public consciousness when she beat Venus Williams at Wimbledon as a mere 15-year-old. Now Gauff’s breakthrough makes her go beyond junior championships to work her way up to becoming a top player. Mouratoglou has known Gauff since she first arrived at his academy in France at the age of 10, and he knew at the time that she was a special player. With Gauff’s steady rise, Mouratoglou does not think it will be long before she wins her first Grand Slam title.

“It has been a good year [for Coco], “Mouratoglou told CBS Sports.” Coco was further down the rankings, but now she is top 20 and seeded [21] at Open. When everything goes very fast, it’s a good sign.

In 2021, 17-year-old American sensation Coco Gauff put together another promising year of play.

“She goes further and further each tournament so you feel like she’s getting there. She’s played, it’s just a marathon to get a Grand Slam and for a young player, it’s not easy to be consistent during a marathon, but if she can be that consistent, she can get there, she can win one. I’m very sure she’s winning her first Grand Slam soon. "

Since her progress was prominent, Gauff was able to make improvements to her game, gaining more control in rallies, and working on her second serve, which had previously been annoying to the youngster. Gauff saw her best finish this season at the French Open (Gauff is most comfortable on clay after winning her junior title at the French Open 2018) as she lost to final champion Barbora Krejčíková in a tight quarterfinal match. She was the youngest player to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal since Nicole Vaidišová at the 2006 French Open.

At this year’s US Open, Gauff fought her way through a tight three-set victory (5-7, 6-3, 6-4) over Magda Linette in the first round, but received a brutal draw as she was matched up with the 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens.

The experience triumphed in the pair’s first matchup ever, and Stephens overwhelmed Gauff with his fiery advance. In 66 minutes, Stephens won 6-4, 6-2. Despite the early exit in singles, Gauff still competes in the women’s doubles tournament with his partner Caty McNally.

Together with Gauff, Mouratoglou is working with another young, exciting player in the 23-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas. Tsitsipas is also entering the US Open with a lot of momentum after a very successful Slam season. Included in the group of the very popular “Next Gen” players, Tsitsipas is one of the youngest players in the ATP’s top 20 and reached a career-high ranking at No. 3 in the world this year.

Mouratoglou, who trains alongside Tsitsipas' father, ostolos Tsitsipas, said Tsitsipas continued to make progress this year, and it shows because of his rise in the rankings.

“For Stefanos, he is close [to a Grand Slam title] because he’s No. 3 in the world, “Mouratoglou told CBS Sports. He played semifinals in the last two tournaments [ATP Masters 1000 in Cincinnati and Canada] in two very close matches. "

Stefanos Tsitsipas is one of the favorites behind Novak Djokovic to pick up the men’s singles crown at the US Open 2021.

Despite Djokovic’s dominance in the men’s game, Mouratoglou believes this year’s US Open men’s course is wide open:

“The pressure is really starting to get big [Djokovic] because now he plays for the story, he plays to have one more Grand Slam than [Federer and Nadal] and he’s capable of becoming the greatest ever, so that’s a huge pressure. I can feel the pressure getting bigger and bigger for him. And at the same time, young guys are getting closer to him in terms of level. Stefanos played five sets against him in Roland Garros, [Alexander] Zverev beat him at the Olympics in Tokyo. [Djokovic] had tough fights too against [Daniil] Medvedev, so the three guys who are supposed to be the top of the future in the game get closer and closer to him. "

Tsitsipas, Medvedev and Zverev are three of the best players on the men’s tour right now who have not yet won a Grand Slam championship. Medvedev, 25, ranked No. 2 in the world, is a two-time Grand Slam finalist (2021 Australian Open against Djokovic and 2019 US Open against Nadal), while Zverev, 24, is No. 4 and was a finalist at the 2020 US Open ( lost to Dominic Thiem). Tsitsipas, as Mouratoglou mentioned, finished second to Djokovic at the 2021 French Open.

Tsitsipas in particular, however, is the youngest player to have defeated all three big ones. Tsitsipas completed the performance before he was 21 years old; he defeated Nadal in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in 2021 in five sets, defeated Federer at the Nitto ATP Final 2019 in London and defeated Djokovic at the ATP Masters 1000 in 2019 in Shanghai.

The US Open 2021 is scheduled to take place from August 30 to September 12. The women’s singles final is scheduled for Saturday, September 11, with the men’s singles final on Sunday, September 12. Stay up to date with the latest information regarding. the American Grand Slam here.

Last year, Dominic Thiem defeated Alexander Zverev in five sets to win the men’s singles championship, while Naomi Osaka defeated Victoria Azarenka in three sets to pick up the women’s singles championship. Thiem will miss this year’s US Open as he deals with a wrist injury, while Osaka is considered one of the favorites in women’s.