Is Coco Gauff ready to overtake Sabalenka and Swiatek to claim No. 1? Chris Eubanks gives his prediction

Coco Gauff finished another great season, this time as world No. 3, confirming the fantastic 2023 she had, which included winning her first Grand Slam title at the US Open. The American had two semifinal appearances in major tournaments, the Australian Open and the French Open, this year.

However, her best results came from winning titles at the WTA 1000 China Open and the WTA Finals, along with a title in Auckland and three more semifinal appearances in WTA 1000 events. She ended the year as world No. 3 for the second consecutive year, just behind Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.

"She’s trending in the right direction" - Christophe Eubanks

The 20-year-old had some irregular months, with defeats in the round of 16 at Wimbledon and the US Open, as well as first-round exits at the Canadian Open, Cincinnati, and the Olympic Games. Gauff decided to part ways with Brad Gilbert and join Matt Daly, former coach of Denis Shapovalov.

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The coaching change gave Gauff a boost, as she finished with 14 wins in her next 16 matches, including victories over Sabalenka and Swiatek in straight sets in Riyadh. Looking ahead to the new season, former world No. 29 Chris Eubanks shared his thoughts on the chances of his close friend climbing higher in the rankings.

“We’ve seen so much greatness from her at such a young age, I think it’s safe to say that she will become world number one,” he said. “I think although it’s a big points deficit, I think she can do it next year,” said the American.

“Not just because of what I’ve seen from her at the end of last year at the WTA Finals, having to go through a gauntlet in order to take that title, but also look at history here,” the former Wimbledon quarterfinalist added. “Her highest ranking in 2021 was 19, in 2022 it was 4 in the world, in 2023 it was 3 in the world, and in 2024 it was 2 in the world.”

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“It’s trending towards progress each and every year. This year was number two, there’s only one place to go from there,” predicted Chris Eubanks. “In order for that to happen, she’s going to have to win two, maybe even three [Majors],” he stated.

“Sabalenka, over the course of the last couple of seasons, has been the most consistent performer at the Majors. Swiatek, we know, dominates on clay. I think it’s going to be hard for Coco [Gauff] in the next year or two. I take the results at the tail-end of the season with a pinch of salt.”

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“I know she’s got a new coach, she’s made some tweaks to her grip on the serve, and there are big improvements needed,” Eubanks commented. “She’s doing really well, she’s trending in the right direction, but I don’t see Coco becoming world No. 1 for another couple of years.”

“It would take something of a misstep from Swiatek and Sabalenka for her to have the opportunity to do so," he concluded.