Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu Share Candid Thoughts on Each Other
Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu, both former US Open champions, have expressed mutual respect and admiration ahead of their clashes, particularly highlighted during their 2023 Australian Open and 2025 Italian Open encounters. Their insights reveal a mix of competitive acknowledgment and personal empathy, shaped by their shared experiences as young Grand Slam winners navigating fame and pressure.
**2023 Australian Open Reflections**
In their first meeting at the 2023 Australian Open second round, Gauff defeated Raducanu 6-3, 7-6(4) in a tightly contested match. Post-match, Gauff praised Raducanu’s resilience, noting, “Kudos to Emma. She raised her level a lot towards the end of the second set. It takes a lot of resilience to do that,” especially given Raducanu’s recent ankle injury recovery, per The Mirror. Raducanu reciprocated, describing Gauff as “a great mover, great athlete” who “teases errors out of you” by forcing extra shots, per SportsTak. Gauff also dismissed rivalry “hatred” claims, stating, “I don’t know if Emma and I will develop a rivalry or not for years to come, but I definitely don’t hate her—I really like her,” emphasizing mutual respect.[]
**2025 Italian Open Build-Up and Post-Match**
Ahead of their fourth-round clash at the 2025 Italian Open on May 12, Raducanu expressed excitement, saying, “She’s a great competitor. I’m playing pretty good tennis right now, and she’s going to be a great test. She’s made the final of the French Open and is great on this surface,” per Tennis365.com. Gauff, anticipating a tough match, noted, “Emma’s obviously a great player. Last time we played, it was a tough match, and it’s going to be a different matchup on clay here,” per TheTennisGazette.com. Gauff’s 6-1, 6-2 victory underscored her clay-court dominance, with Raducanu admitting, “I felt outplayed today. Coco played a great match, found great shape, width, and depth. You feel like there’s no space on the court,” per The Guardian. Gauff, gracious in victory, reiterated, “Emma is a tough opponent no matter what surface,” per Sky Sports.
**Mutual Empathy and Shared Experiences**
Beyond competition, both players have shown empathy for each other’s challenges. In 2023, Gauff supported Raducanu after a stalker incident in Dubai, sharing, “This happens to me too,” highlighting their shared struggles with fame, per The Mirror. Earlier, in 2021, Gauff advised Raducanu to limit social media to manage post-US Open pressure, saying, “She has a Slam and I don’t. If anything, I should be asking her,” per EssentiallySports. In 2023, Gauff empathized with Raducanu’s mixed feelings about her US Open win, stating, “I completely understand her point of view,” having faced similar scrutiny as a teen prodigy, per Sportskeeda.com.[](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/tennis/emma-raducanu-coco-gauff-rivarly-35210673)[](https://www.essentiallysports.com/wta-tennis-news-a-bit-overwhelming-coco-gauff-gives-practical-off-court-advice-to-emma-raducanu-ahead-of-indian-wells-2021/)[](https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-i-completely-understand-point-view-coco-gauff-empathizes-emma-raducanu-s-admission-us-open-triumph)
Their honest verdicts reflect a dynamic of competitive respect and personal camaraderie, acknowledging each other’s strengths while navigating the pressures of their parallel careers.
