Coco Gauff has welcomed the usage of VAR at the US Open as the American aims to overcome poor form in a bid to defend her title in New York.
It’s been a rough few weeks for Gauff which started with the American failing to pick up a medal at the Olympics.
That has been followed up by Gauff only winning one match from Toronto and Cincinnati, therefore failing to defend her Cincinnati title.
Last week’s result means Gauff has been replaced by Aryna Sabalenka as world number two.
However Gauff still remains optimistic of a good result in New York as she bids to defend her US Open title, “I mean, obviously I wanted to go into Cincinnati and win, but I had more realistic things in my head just coming from Olympics and, you know, switching surfaces so fast,” the defending champion told journalists on Friday.
“So really, the main focus was trying to be as ready as possible for here, which I feel like it was a blessing in disguise I lost so early, because I was able to actually train, which I hadn’t been able to. I do my best results when I come off a training block. I was able to train for a good week and a half and obviously still have a couple more days to do that.
“The last couple of practices have gone really well, which before, like, during Cincinnati wasn’t having great practices, in Toronto wasn’t having great practices. Here I’m having great practices, which, you know, doesn’t mean I’m going to go out on the match and play great, but it does give you more confidence when you’re actually practicing great the week before a tournament.
“Really excited to be back here and have a great tournament. Obviously coming in as defending champion is a little bit of pressure, but also more of a privilege, because as my new motto is: If you defend, that means you won something before. I’m excited to be back here and hopefully have a good two weeks.”
Although Gauff doesn’t enter the tournament in the best form, the American does play her best tennis when all the pressure isn’t on her and will aim to do the same this year.
Gauff has had some brutal defeats this year and a couple of them in controversial circumstances which could have been avoided with the use of video review.
Speaking on the decision, the American thinks the technology will be useful for the players and wants to see it implemented more regularly across the tour, “I think, you know, we’re playing for too much on the line for that not to be a thing, especially when other sports have it where, you know, maybe they don’t even have as much of the resources tennis has financially,” Gauff stated in her press conference.
“So I definitely think that, you know, it should be, especially at the slams, it should be here and 1000 tournaments. Obviously I would like to see it across all levels, but I definitely would love to see it at the highest of levels first. US Open had it last year. I didn’t have to use it.
“Hopefully I won’t have to use it this year, but I think it’s a great thing. You know, the worst is when you get apologized to afterwards, and it’s kind of just like, thanks, but, you know, what is that going to do for me now? I think it’ll just hold everybody accountable.
“I think there will be a lot less player frustration and outbursts with that. I’m excited. I hope to see it continue to expand not just in this tournament but all tournaments.”
The US Open is one of only a few tournaments to have video review with the Nitto ATP Finals also implementing the technology.
Gauff will be hoping she doesn’t have to use the technology as she takes on Varvara Gracheva on Monday.
