Pam Shriver has warned Cori Gauff that there are no guarantees in tennis but noted that she expects the American to “win plenty Grand Slams” before she retires. In 1978, Shriver was just 16 when she ended as runner-up at the Us Open.
In the rest of her career, Shriver won 22 Grand Slam titles in doubles but never again returned to a Grand Slam singles final. Last year – just two months after turning 18 – Gauff made her first Grand Slam final at the French Open.
This Monday, Gauff turned 19 and she is widely considered one of the most talented and promising players in the game. “I know how it is to burst onto the scene, the expectations it creates. There are simply no guarantees of anything — nothing,” Shriver told the WTA website.
Shriver: Gauff must improve her forehand, she’ll hopefully win plenty
Gauff’s forehand isn’t still where it needs to be and her rivals are going after that particular shot. Shriver believes that Gauff is certainly doing all she can to improve her forehand and added she expects the American to win plenty of big titles before she retires.
“It’s not easy to overcome, because everyone you play is trying to break down that side. I have no doubt that they’re doing everything they can to get that solved. I just think Coco has to ratchet down the expectations, take it one day at a time and continue to be the professional she is.
At the same time while still being a teenager and having some sense of normalcy in a not-normal setting. She’s exceptional, and I feel like she’s finding that balance. If you just go on her movement, her serve, all her attributes, she’ll win plenty,” Shriver told the WTA website.
At the start of the 2023 season, Gauff reached the Australian Open round-of-16 before losing to Jelena Ostapenko.