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Coco Gauff Joins Iga Swiatek and Others To Hype WTA’s Brand New Move Which Is Set To Transform Women’s Tennis

The Women’s Tennis Association is on a roll, driven by innovative branding strategies and a talented pool of players. The WTA has enhanced its appeal through partnerships with CVC Capital Partners, aiming to elevate the sport’s commercial profile and accelerate growth since 2023. Charismatic players like Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek are also boosting the WTA’s allure. One might recall Gauff’s 2023 US Open final against Aryna Sabalenka drew a record 3.4 million viewers on ESPN, marking a 92% increase from the previous year’s women’s final between Swiatek and Ons Jabeur. The WTA is never short on offering fans compelling storylines and competitive matches throughout the year. And they don’t intend to stop just there!

On February 24, the WTA’s Instagram posted an exciting video featuring top players like Iga Swiatek, Madison Keys, Paula Badosa, Qinwen Zheng, Sara Sorribes Tormo, Daria Kasatkina, Ons Jabeur, and Coco Gauff. In the video, these players take turns narrating: “It’s about to get loud. The wait is almost over. A new era begins soon. Are you ready? This is it. You won’t want to miss this.” The cinematic brilliance has fans buzzing about the WTA’s new move. But what is this new move?

According to a post by reporter John Horn on X: “Tennis fans…BIG WTA news coming on February 27th… Total rebranding & new look on broadcasts & website being announced… Debuts on TV at the start of Indian Wells… Big upgrades to all aspects… Very impressed with the sneak peek.. Stay tuned #WTA #DDFTennis.” Well, going by this post, the rebranding will revolutionize the WTA experience for players and fans alike. With just two days left before the big reveal, the excitement is palpable now.

The WTA has achieved several milestones recently. This year’s Australian Open saw a remarkable increase in viewership, with Australia witnessing a 55% rise, followed by the UK at 54% and the US at 48%. American audiences watched the Women’s Singles more than the Men’s Singles by a 4% margin, largely thanks to Madison Keys’ performance, marking a significant moment for women’s tennis. But that’s not the only highlight for WTA.

The WTA celebrates all its highlights over the past year

Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek

In 2024, the WTA offered a record-breaking prize money of $221 million —a whopping $42 million increase from 2023. The excitement doesn’t stop there; two major WTA 1000 events, the National Bank Open, and the Cincinnati Open, are expanding to 12-day tournaments, offering a bigger stage for top athletes. Meanwhile, the WTA is also revamping its grass-court schedule in the UK, introducing a new WTA 500 event at Queen’s Club in London, featuring stars like Naomi Osaka, Madison Keys, and Emma Raducanu, followed by WTA 250s in Nottingham and Eastbourne. Additionally, the WTA 125s are getting a boost with an expanded calendar and live streaming on WTA Unlocked.

Last season was a huge success, with attendance increasing by 15% and a global audience surpassing 1 billion for the second consecutive year. The WTA’s social media presence is also on fire, with the top 20 players now reaching a combined 58.5 million followers—a 29% increase over the past year. Forbes has noted that 11 of the world’s 20 highest-earning female athletes are WTA players, highlighting the sport’s growing momentum.

Beyond the court, the WTA Foundation is advancing its philanthropic initiatives, focusing on women’s health and empowerment through campaigns like Women Change the Game. This effort aims to improve women’s health and nutrition globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. As the WTA continues to break barriers, Portia Archer, CEO of the WTA, emphasizes their global impact: “We are incredibly proud to have the largest global reach in women’s sport, with events in 26 countries and regions and a worldwide audience of more than one billion.”

She added, “As the original trailblazer in women’s sport, our ambitions go well beyond the court. We will continue to champion our incredible athletes and create real change through our programmes and commitment to advocate for women’s health and empowerment around the world.”

With the WTA’s latest update just around the corner, anticipation is building —it’s an electrifying time for tennis fans!

Some of us never quite get over that silver medal we won back in high school trampolining, others just win, and win, and win again.

One of those men is Rafael Nadal – and his net worth isn’t the only reason he’s always smiling.

Nadal’s record in professional tennis is exceptional. We’re talking 22 Grand Slam men’s single titles, 92 ATP-level singles titles, and a record-breaking 14 French Opens (with an absolutely ridiculous 112-4 career record there).

He was first or second favorite with tennis sportsbooks to win the French open for an astonishing 16 years straight from 2006 to 2021.

The man even has a couple of Olympic gold medals buried somewhere beneath his boxes of trophies.

One major benefit of all that success is a healthy bank account. Let’s slice through Nadal’s net worth and see what we’re dealing with.

Rafael Nadal’s net worth

Brace yourselves, as Nadal’s net worth might shock you.

His total net worth is estimated to be in the region of $220 million. That’s enough for him to pay all the prize money to every player at the Wimbledon Championships for three years straight and still have enough left over to buy a 100ft superyacht.

And all he had to do was be the number one tennis player in the world for 209 weeks, including one spell of over a year straight. Easy.

Career earnings

Nadal’s net worth includes around $135 million in prize money alone since he turned pro in 2001.

It’s not surprising when you consider how many titles he’s amassed in both singles and doubles tennis.

Nadal had been part of the top three tennis players in the world for more than a decade alongside Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

For years, those three, along with Andy Murray made the game look easy – and working out how to bet on tennis easier still.

Nadal bagged his first Grand Slam, and the first on that record-breaking streak of French Open wins back in 2005.

He was just 19. In fact, had the tournament been held a week earlier, he’d have only been 18.

And he might not be done yet. Although Nadal previously suggested he might retire after the current season, he more recently indicated that he was “enjoying playing tennis” and wasn’t ready to “close, 100 per cent, the door”.

Sounds like the King of Clay still has some oil in the tank.

Endorsements and Business Ventures

As one of the ‘big three’ in tennis for so long, and boosted even more by his famous rivalry with Djokovic, there aren’t many sports fans who don’t know the name Rafael Nadal.

His net worth has certainly benefited from this celebrity status, even when not among the favorites for Wimbledon and other major tournaments.

Nadal’s business ventures are impressive. He’s enjoyed a slew of sponsorships and endorsements over the years, covering everything from high-end fashion (Emporio Armani) to cars (Kia Motors).

One particularly interesting partnership Nadal signed was with PokerStars, one of the most popular online poker sites in the world.

This has given players a chance to see another side of Nadal, taking him on at the digital felt and sitting across from him at live tournaments.

You could even have won a weekend away to Majorca with the former world number one to play some poker, break bread, and hit a few balls on the court.

We almost forgot – he also has a $10 million deal with little-known sportswear outfit Nike.

He’s done his own thing, too. Nadal opened the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in 2016, delivering a tennis experience mainly aimed at youngsters.

Visitors can check out the museum, engage in one-on-one tennis coaching and much more. And all for the low, low price of more than $60,000 per year.

Conclusion

When you’re the best in the world at anything, whether it’s sports, cooking or dancing, there’ll always be a queue of people lining up to pay for your expertise.

Nadal’s net worth is a testament to his immense skill, dedication, and incredible achievements in the world of tennis.

The 38-year-old pro is in the later years of his career, as reflected by his current world ranking which is way down the list, around the 250-mark.

He is due to play for Spain at the 2024 Olympics in Paris in what may be his final tournament.

Although his net worth of $220 million isn’t going to skyrocket from career earnings from now, between the Nadal academy and his other business ventures, it’s safe to say the tennis legend has a few aces up his sleeve yet.

World number three Gauff hopes to bounce back from her early exit in Doha at the WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai (16-22 February).

Coco Gauff will be in action at the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships (16-22 February) in the United Arab Emirates.

In the second WTA 1000 tennis tournament of the season, the world number three will be aiming for a reaction in Dubai, having fallen at the first hurdle in the previous tournament in Doha, Qatar.

Gauff was beaten in straight sets by unseeded player Marta Kostyuk in the second round of the Qatar Open, to which she had received a bye due to being seeded.

The 20-year-old begins her campaign at the same stage against fellow American and world no. 53 McCartney Kessler, who upset eventual Qatar champion Amanda Anisimova in the first round in Dubai.

Gauff has won two WTA 1000 titles in her career as she targets a third in the UAE, where the Dubai Tennis Championships final will take place on Saturday, 22 February.

Here is how to watch Gauff in Dubai on the latest stop on the WTA tennis tour.

  • Coco Gauff crashes out in second round at Qatar Open

    Coco Gauff: Top things you might not know about the American tennis ace

    Dubai Tennis Championships 2025 – how to watch live

    The Dubai Tennis Championships will be broadcast on Tennis Channel in the United States, Spain and India, while it will be shown in Canada on TSN/TVA.

    Coco Gauff
    PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 3. Coco Gauff of the United States in action against Mirra Andreeva of Russia in the third round of the singles competition on Court Suzanne Lenglen during the 2023 French Open Tennis Tournament at Roland Garros on June 3, 2023, in Paris, France. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

    Fans in Africa can watch on SuperSport, and Australian supporters will be able to watch the WTA 1000 tournament on beIN Sports.

  • Men’s world number one Jannik Sinner accepts three-month ban in settlement with World Anti-Doping Agency

WTA Qatar Open 2025 – Coco Gauff’s schedule

  • 18 February: Second Round – Gauff vs McCartney Kessler (USA)
  • 19 February: Third Round – Gauff/Kessler vs Emma Raducanu (GBR)/Karolina Muchova (CZE)
  • 20 February: Quarter-finals
  • 21 February: Semi-finals
  • 22 February: Final

The Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer all feature highly on the list of players with the most top 10 wins.

Four men have won over 150 matches against top 10 players, while just two have surpassed the 200-win milestone.

Here, we look at the seven players who have won the most matches against opponents in the top 10 of the ATP Rankings.

7. Pete Sampras – 124

Pete Sampras accumulated 124 wins over top 10-ranked players in the world.

The American’s maiden top 10 win came against Tim Mayotte in Detroit in 1988, while his last was against Andre Agassi in the 2002 US Open final — the last match of his career.

Sampras won 10 or more matches against top 10 opponents in seven different campaigns (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999). His 14 top 10 triumphs in 1995 is his best tally.

6. John McEnroe – 128

John McEnroe registered 128 victories against top 10 players in the ATP Rankings.

The American scored his first-ever win over a top 10 player against Wojciech Fibak in Indianapolis in 1977, and his last against Guy Forget at the 1992 Wimbledon Championships.

McEnroe earned 10 or more top 10 wins in seven different seasons (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985). His best single-season top 10 win total is the 24 he compiled in 1984.

5. Jimmy Connors – 131

Jimmy Connors won 131 matches against top 10 opponents in his career.

The American’s maiden top 10 win came against Tom Okker at the 1973 US Open, while his last came against Michael Stich in Memphis in 1992.

4. Ivan Lendl – 166

Ivan Lendl recorded 166 triumphs against players in the top 10 of the ATP Rankings.

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The Czech-American earned his first top 10 win against Arthur Ashe at the 1979 French Open and his last against Boris Becker at the 1993 Tokyo Indoor.

Lendl registered 10 or more top 10 wins in eight different seasons (1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1989). His 22 wins in 1986 is his best single-season tally.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal

3. Rafael Nadal – 186

Rafael Nadal amassed 186 wins over players ranked in the top 10 in his career.

The Spaniard’s first victory over a top 10 player came against Albert Costa at the 2003 Monte Carlo Masters, while his final one was against Casper Ruud at the 2022 ATP Finals.

Nadal won 10 or more matches against top 10 opponents in 10 different seasons (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2018). His best top 10 win tally in a season is the 24 he compiled in 2013.

2. Roger Federer – 224

Roger Federer earned 224 victories against opponents in the top 10 of the ATP Rankings.

The Swiss’ maiden top 10 win was against Carlos Moya in Marseille in 1999, while his last came against Novak Djokovic at the 2019 ATP Finals.

Federer recorded 15 or more top 10 wins in nine different campaigns (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2015). His 19 wins in 2006 is his best single-season total.

1. Novak Djokovic – 260

Novak Djokovic holds the record for the most matches won against players ranked in the top 10 with a remarkable tally of 260.

The Serbian’s first-ever triumph over a top 10 opponent came against Mariano Puerta at the 2005 Paris Masters, while his most recent was against Carlos Alcaraz at the 2025 Australian Open.

Djokovic has registered 15 or more top 10 wins in nine different seasons (2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2023). His 31 wins over top 10 players in 2015 is an all-time single-season record.

Once one of the most impressive doubles teams on the WTA Tour, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula haven’t played together since last August. Still, their chemistry remains unparalleled. And what about their movie nights? Unlike some, Coco does not favor solitary movie viewings and always prefers the company of her best friend, Pegula. Just before the Dubai Tennis Championships, Coco shared a glimpse of her night out for a recently launched movie, but to everyone’s surprise, Pegula was nowhere in sight, despite the playful banter between them earlier.

The story goes back to yesterday when Pegula was surprised as Gauff unexpectedly crashed her WTA Tour interview at the Dubai Tennis Championships 2025, playfully calling out her former doubles partner. “You never responded to my texts. This girl invited me to go to the movies. I said let me know when you wanna go and she never responded so she’s fake,” Coco quipped, making sure her complaint was heard. But she wasn’t done yet!

Coco later took to Instagram, posting the clip with a caption that made it clear she wasn’t letting this one slide: “She texted me on Friday and it is now Sunday and still no response… smh @jpegula gonna go watch the movie by myself now,” the World No. 3 wrote in her Instagram stories. However, it seems Coco ultimately went ahead without her former partner!

Just hours after calling out her former doubles partner for ghosting her on movie night, Coco took to Instagram with a playful clapback. “Lol @jpegula I made it without you,” she wrote, posing with a bucket of popcorn and a shield, both sporting the Captain America logo. But the drama didn’t end there; there was more to the story after her post.

Just as Gauff posted her Instagram story, Jessica Pegula wasted no time hilariously responding to it. She immediately re-shared the post, adding, “Nooooo 😂” Pegula also dropped a screenshot of their iMessage exchange, showing that she had, in fact, asked Coco about the movie. “How was the movie 😂,” she added, proving there was more to the story than Gauff had let on!

Coco Gauff, who was seen watching a “Captain America: Brave New World” movie on her IG story, has long been a big fan of Marvel and superheroes. Remember the recently concluded Australian Open? She kicked off her campaign in style with a dominant first-round win over Sofia Kenin, rocking the latest NB fit on the iconic Rod Laver Arena. The superhero attire included a “cargo skirt” and sneakers that served as a tribute to her father Corey, who is a hardcore basketball fan. She even added her remarks about her superhero-inspired kit after the match.

“I’m a huge Marvel fan, and a lot of the female superheroes have cool cut-outs on their outfits. That’s what I wanted to do. New Balance has great designers; it’s actually kind of a pain to get into because it is a bodysuit, guys! I have to put the bottom part on first and pull it over my head. It’s kind of a struggle, and if you can’t hold your bladder, it’s also not a good idea…A couple times I’ve had to ask the referee to help unzip me to use the bathroom! You have to sacrifice for fashion!” Gauff said.

While Coco Gauff might not have got Pegula’s company this time around, her bond with Pegula goes far beyond just a missed movie night. Their friendship runs deep, built over the years on and off the court!

“I think she has definitely grown up a lot” — Pegula opened up about her former teammate

The American pair of Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula dominated the doubles circuit, accumulating five WTA titles, three of which were prestigious WTA 1000 crowns. But by 2024, things took an opposite turn. Pegula suffered injuries, while Coco Gauff experimented with new partners, teaming up with Taylor Townsend in Madrid, Erin Routliffe in Rome, and Katerina Siniakova at the French Open. That last move paid off big: Coco and Siniakova teamed up and lifted the French Open doubles trophy.

Despite their split, Coco Gauff and Pegula reunited for one major event at the Summer Olympics. Their status as top seeds generated considerable expectations, which were not met as their participation ended in the second round at the hands of Czech players Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova. That Olympic campaign ended up being their last tournament together to date. Yet, their bond remains!

Pegula, now 30, has often spoken highly of Coco Gauff. In an interview last August, the 2024 US Open finalist praised Coco’s growth and maturity over time. “I think she [Gauff] has definitely grown up a lot and matured over the last few years. She’s now much more sure of herself and knows what she wants. Also, she is hitting that age where you are learning all that stuff. You are trying to figure out what you want, how you want it, making more of your own decisions and we have seen that over the past year now,” Pegula remarked.

Both Pegula and Coco Gauff will now feature at the upcoming Dubai Tennis Championships, where the former will face Liudmila Samsonova and Coco will face the winner of the first round between McCartney Kessler and Amanda Anisimova. Are you backing both of them to make a deep run in the tournament?

Three-time defending Qatar Open champion Iga Swiatek (23) suffered a crushing 6-3, 6-1 defeat by Jelena Ostapenko (27) in the semi-finals on Friday, her fifth loss in as many meetings with the mercurial Latvian.

Swiatek entered the semi-finals carrying a 15-match winning streak in Doha, having clinched the title in each of the last three editions.

The five-time Grand Slam champion was looking to become the first player since 2011 – and just second this century – to win the same WTA tournament four years in a row but Ostapenko had other ideas.

Ostapenko, the 2017 Roland Garros champion, became the first player to defeat Swiatek on five occasions.

The world number 37 fired 24 winners against just 15 unforced errors, brushing aside the second-ranked Pole after just 70 minutes of play.

Ostapenko is through to the third WTA 1000 final of her career and is searching for her first title at that level, having lost on her two previous attempts in Doha 2016 and Miami 2018.

She will face Amanda Anisimova in Saturday’s championship match after the American defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-3 to reach her second WTA 1000 final.

I feel like this court has a special energy and it was always helping me. Everything started for me on this court (when I reached the final in 2016),” said Ostapenko.

Today when I went on the court I was pretty confident that I could beat her because we played a lot of matches and I kind of know how to play against her. I was just focusing on myself and knew what I had to do. I’m really happy with the way I’m handling my emotions this week and I’m so happy to be in the final.”

A blistering start from Ostapenko saw the Latvian unleash a forehand winner to break Swiatek in the opening game of the contest and she surrendered just one point on her way to a 2-0 lead.

Ostapenko got her hands on three set points on the Swiatek serve at 5-3 and converted her third opportunity to scoop the first set in 35 minutes.

The start of the second set followed a similar pattern to the first, with Ostapenko punishing Swiatek’s serve, and attacking any short ball that came her way.

As the match clock hit one hour, Ostapenko was already up a set and 4-0 and cruising. Swiatek halted the momentum by getting one of the breaks back but her comeback attempt was short-lived as she dropped serve again the following game en route to a hefty defeat.

Iga Swiatek

‘Knew what to expect’

Ostapenko limited Swiatek to under 50 percent in points won behind the first or second serve and logged seven return winners against the Pole.

Obviously I was preparing for the match, and I pretty much knew what to expect from her,” said Ostapenko of her success on return against Swiatek.

I don’t know, sometimes I know where the ball’s coming, but sometimes I’m just going with my feelings and my instincts, so that helps me.”

Another streak was broken on Friday as Anisimova, 23, ended Alexandrova’s eight-match unbeaten run to advance to the final.

Alexandrova ousted two top-five players in Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula on her way to the Doha semi-finals, and was coming off of a title run in Linz earlier this month.

Anisimova broke twice to open up an early 4-0 gap and it took Alexandrova 22 minutes before she finally got on the board.

The big-hitting American bagged the opening set in 43 minutes and built a 4-1 lead in the second before securing passage to the fifth WTA final of her career.

Anisimova saved nine of the 10 break points she faced during the match to set up an all-unseeded showdown against Ostapenko.

Three-time defending Qatar Open champion Iga Swiatek (23) suffered a crushing 6-3, 6-1 defeat by Jelena Ostapenko (27) in the semi-finals on Friday, her fifth loss in as many meetings with the mercurial Latvian.

Swiatek entered the semi-finals carrying a 15-match winning streak in Doha, having clinched the title in each of the last three editions.

The five-time Grand Slam champion was looking to become the first player since 2011 – and just second this century – to win the same WTA tournament four years in a row but Ostapenko had other ideas.

Ostapenko, the 2017 Roland Garros champion, became the first player to defeat Swiatek on five occasions.

The world number 37 fired 24 winners against just 15 unforced errors, brushing aside the second-ranked Pole after just 70 minutes of play.

Ostapenko is through to the third WTA 1000 final of her career and is searching for her first title at that level, having lost on her two previous attempts in Doha 2016 and Miami 2018.

She will face Amanda Anisimova in Saturday’s championship match after the American defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-3 to reach her second WTA 1000 final.

I feel like this court has a special energy and it was always helping me. Everything started for me on this court (when I reached the final in 2016),” said Ostapenko.

Today when I went on the court I was pretty confident that I could beat her because we played a lot of matches and I kind of know how to play against her. I was just focusing on myself and knew what I had to do. I’m really happy with the way I’m handling my emotions this week and I’m so happy to be in the final.”

A blistering start from Ostapenko saw the Latvian unleash a forehand winner to break Swiatek in the opening game of the contest and she surrendered just one point on her way to a 2-0 lead.

Ostapenko got her hands on three set points on the Swiatek serve at 5-3 and converted her third opportunity to scoop the first set in 35 minutes.

The start of the second set followed a similar pattern to the first, with Ostapenko punishing Swiatek’s serve, and attacking any short ball that came her way.

As the match clock hit one hour, Ostapenko was already up a set and 4-0 and cruising. Swiatek halted the momentum by getting one of the breaks back but her comeback attempt was short-lived as she dropped serve again the following game en route to a hefty defeat.

Iga Swiatek

‘Knew what to expect’

Ostapenko limited Swiatek to under 50 percent in points won behind the first or second serve and logged seven return winners against the Pole.

Obviously I was preparing for the match, and I pretty much knew what to expect from her,” said Ostapenko of her success on return against Swiatek.

I don’t know, sometimes I know where the ball’s coming, but sometimes I’m just going with my feelings and my instincts, so that helps me.”

Another streak was broken on Friday as Anisimova, 23, ended Alexandrova’s eight-match unbeaten run to advance to the final.

Alexandrova ousted two top-five players in Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula on her way to the Doha semi-finals, and was coming off of a title run in Linz earlier this month.

Anisimova broke twice to open up an early 4-0 gap and it took Alexandrova 22 minutes before she finally got on the board.

The big-hitting American bagged the opening set in 43 minutes and built a 4-1 lead in the second before securing passage to the fifth WTA final of her career.

Anisimova saved nine of the 10 break points she faced during the match to set up an all-unseeded showdown against Ostapenko.

When it comes to her love life, Coco Gauff is one tough nut. Amid the glam and glitz of being a sword (read: racket) yielding diva, and the intense scrutiny/limelight that comes with it, there are some things that Coco would rather keep close to her heart, away from the world. Like her boyfriend…

Having been in a relationship since 2023, the tennis star has counted the exact numbers of steps she’s proceeded to divulge details about her relationship, before retracting. It’s always been bits and pieces of information sprinkled across multiple interviews. The 20-year-old first confirmed her relationship in March last year after her father Corey described it as a “friend who she’s dating”“He’s a very nice guy. He’s in school now. He’s about to apply for music school. He wants to be an actor and he plays the guitar. He’s not from Delray. He’s actually from Atlanta.”

In an interview with TIME Magazine the very next month, she divulged more. “This is my first real relationship. To just have someone to talk to who is not involved in tennis at all gives me a fresh perspective…,” Gauff said before adding that her mother was her boyfriend’s fourth grade teacher.“My mom always said, if they’re bad in school, they’re probably bad as adults. He’s always been a smart, nice kid.” What’s more?

Ahead of her US Open Final, her mystery man even helped her beat the blues. “Last night, I started a little bit, but honestly, I just called my boyfriend, and I told him let’s talk until it’s time to go to sleep so we spoke until 1:00 a.m. and then I went to sleep,” the 20-year said. Wholesome, right? And, as expected, the couple would also be indulging in normal couple activities, right? Well, no.

Just like last year, Coco Gauff has decided to spend February 14 with her other Valentine—her mother—with some quality time in Dubai. The World No. 3 shared a video of savoring delicious food with Candi Gauff, who is a former heptathlon athlete. Sharing the reel, Gauff wrote, “V-day dinner with my mom @candigauff.” While this time, we didn’t see her rumored boyfriend enter the picture indirectly, the same cannot be said for last year.

Like clockwork, last year too, Coco shared a heap of pictures cruising on a quadricycle on Qatar’s Sealine Desert with her mom for Valentine’s Day. After exiting the 2024 Qatar Open in the second round, she spent her time sightseeing with Candi in Doha. The duo shared snippets of their outings on their respective Instagram handles, and Gauff captioned it as “Motorsport.” That’s not the most interesting part, though.

Jalen Sera, her rumored boyfriend, made sure to hop into the comment section to add a little flirtatious comment. Calling her “Sandwoman”, Sera wrote, “These last two posts really bring out the earthbender in you.”

Having said that, for Coco Gauff, her mother is her constant travel partner. Be it cheering for her daughter at the 2025 United Cup or visiting the Great Wall of China together during their trip to Beijing, Candi has been Coco’s partner in crime. Reflecting on this special bond with her mother previously, Coco Gauff had said, “Yeah, I mean, both my parents are constant support all the time. My mom, it’s just a motherly thing. There’s nothing like a mother-daughter relationship. Especially in swings like Asia where it maybe is more isolated than usual, we just play Uno lot.”

She also highlighted how her mother took care of everything on tour and became her constant support. “It’s great to have my mom. She’s my biggest fan for sure. Having one or both of my parents I think always makes the tournament easier. You don’t have to take care of some things. She’s always reminding, me, Do you have your headphones, change of shoes, and clothes? Just things that moms, dads, they all do,” Gauff added.

Although Gauff decided to spend the entire day with her mom, in a cute gesture, she had a special offer this Valentine’s. What was that?

Coco Gauff and Jodie Burrage

Coco Gauff agreed to be her colleague’s “Galentine”

Coco Gauff was proposed by the Ministry of Happiness, Ons Jabeur on Valentine’s Eve. In a video shared by the WTA’s Instagram handle, the Tunisian could be seen asking the World No. 3, “Will you be my Valentine?” and Gauff said, “Yes!” The moment caught the fans off-guard and highlighted their beautiful friendship.

After Gauff’s response, the show’s producer remarked that Gauff chose Galentine’s rather than Valentine’s, and Gauff agreed. “I did choose Galantine’s Day. I don’t have anything for you, so the hug is for you. I, like, saw somebody coming from the bushes. I was like, who the heck is jumping over?,” the American said, as she hugged Jabeur. Galentine’s Day is actually a global holiday celebrating women’s friendship.

However, the scene took a quirky yet funny turn, when Gauff asked Jabeur, “Thank you (For the rose). How many people have you done this for, though? How many Valentines do you have?” Gauff’s hilarious dig at Jabeur made her flee from the scene. “See you!” the Tunisian said, as she chuckled and disappeared. Jabeur’s gesture prompted Gauff to add a sarcastic conclusion. “Oh, okay. Maybe it’s not as special anymore,” she said.

Coco Gauff’s Valentine’s Day celebration with her mother warmed the fraternity’s hearts. However, her recent setbacks on the court have got the fans worried as well. Are you backing Coco to regain her form soon?

Legendary coach Rick Macci has shared his thoughts on Coco Gauff’s game after the American’s surprise early exit at the Qatar Open.

Gauff fell to a 2-6, 5-7 defeat to world No 21 Marta Kostyuk in her opening match at the WTA 1000 event in Doha on Tuesday.

The world No 3 served seven double faults and won just 33% of her second serve points as she was broken four times in her nine service games by the 22-year-old Ukrainian.

The 20-year-old was also troubled by her serve in her previous match — a 5-7, 4-6 loss to Paula Badosa in the Australian Open quarter-finals last month.

Macci, who coached tennis icons and sisters Serena and Venus Williams, backed Gauff to bounce back while also identifying issues with her serve and forehand.

“Coco will be fine as she is a fighter and has turbo jets in her shoes,” the 70-year-old wrote on X.

“X factor for greatness is the second serve; not connected properly and the forehand is the same.

“When you’re confident, technical flaws can Hide. When you get nervous, they bubble up and opponents Seek.”

Last year, Macci asserted that it would not take long at all to fix the technical problem he sees with Gauff’s second serve.

“Coco and her second serve can be fixed in less than one hour,” the American said.

“Once that is biomechanically rewired and that is in the EYE of the BEHOLDER the mental game overall becomes BOLDER.”

Coco Gauff

Macci recently predicted that Gauff will establish herself as the world No 1 is she improves her second serve and forehand.

“Coco has untapped potential and can get to number one and most of all stay there,” he tweeted. “If second serve becomes an asset and forehand become her best shot.

“Her first serve someday can hit 130 mph as she continues to tweak. Make up speed is as good as the sport has ever seen.”

Gauff won her only Grand Slam title to date at the 2023 US Open, while she has claimed nine singles titles in total.

The American is next set to feature at the Dubai Championships, a WTA 1000 event that will be staged from February 16 to 22. She will aim to win her third career WTA 1000 title.

Iga Swiatek shared some huge praise for Rafael Nadal as she explains how their playing styles are similar.

The 23-year-old grew up idolizing the Spaniard and has named him as her biggest inspiration within the sport and her favourite player.

It is clear to see how the 22-time Grand Slam champion has influenced her game given Iga Swiatek’s levels of intensity and heavy groundstrokes.

But the World number two has now provided some insight into how she believes her game mirrors that of the 14-time French Open champion.

How did Iga Swiatek compare her game to Rafael Nadal’s?

Rafael Nadal developed a reputation for using high amounts of topspin with acute angels to drag his opponents out of position and wear them down.

Swiatek also implements topspin into her game and in addition to using her excellent footwork to move up the court quickly and take control of the rallies, hallmarks of Nadal’s game.

Swiatek has been compared to Nadal in terms of their dominance at Roland Garros, where they hold a combined 18 titles.

But during an interview with The Athletic, The Pole explained how they are similar from the perspective on how they played the game.

“It’s just physics. On clay, it’s going to be a bit easier because my topspin will jump higher and my movements will be maybe better than what other girls can bring with the sliding and changing direction,” Swiatek said.

“But on hard courts, I feel like I’m a good player as well. It was the same with Rafa.”

Iga Swiatek

Iga Swiatek makes a bold Rafael Nadal claim

Early in his career Nadal’s detractors did not believe he could achieve plenty of success away from clay courts.

But the 38-year-old proved his doubters wrong by succeeding on every surface, winning multiple titles on grass and hard courts, inducing the Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the US Open.

After showing he could adapt to all surfaces throughout his career, Swiatek called Nadal the greatest of all time on all surfaces.

“Everybody always talked about clay, but like he’s the GOAT (greatest of all time) basically on every surface,” she added. “Also winning Wimbledon twice. Not every player can have these results on even one surface.

“This is something that people are focusing on, and I am talking about this as well, because clay is where I have the most fun, but I love hard courts as well.

“And I feel like I have my weapons and I can use them. I want to be an all surface player for sure.”