‘I Wouldn’t Be Opposed’ – Coco Gauff Makes Carlos Alcaraz Admission After Cincinnati Open Shoutout

As the tennis world eagerly awaits Carlos Alcaraz’s return to the tour, Coco Gauff has opened up about whether she would be open to testing herself against the Spaniard in a friendly match.

Gauff is currently competing at the Cincinnati Open, while Alcaraz was forced to abandon his title defense at the event due to lingering concerns surrounding his wrist injury.

What Coco Gauff Said About Competing Against Carlos Alcaraz

Following a first-round bye, Gauff commenced her campaign at the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati against Liudmila Samsonova. She displayed her impressive fighting spirit during the encounter, battling back from a set down to claim a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory and advance to the third round.

During her on-court interview, Gauff sent heartfelt birthday wishes to her father, Corey. She revealed that he had so much faith in her abilities that he would even bet on her to triumph over Carlos Alcaraz.

“My dad means a lot to me. He’s the reason why I’m playing this sport and have so much belief. If it was up to my dad, he would say I can beat anyone even if Carlos Alcaraz is on the other side. But that really shows the belief that he has in me and I love him so much,” Gauff said.

Subsequently, the 22-year-old appeared on USA Today Sports and acknowledged that facing Alcaraz could dent her confidence, although she said she would not be completely opposed to the challenge. Gauff also said she would prefer to share a court with the Spaniard as a doubles partner instead.

“For the sake of my confidence, I probably wouldn’t step on the court with him but I wouldn’t be opposed to it. But I’d rather him be on the same side of the court with me and I’ll be down to play mixed doubles with him. Like I said, my dad would still probably put his money on me even if I’d put my money on Carlos,” she said.

While Alcaraz’s participation in the US Open remains uncertain, Gauff has opted not to compete in the star-studded mixed doubles event at the Major.

However, fans will have the opportunity to enjoy several high-profile partnerships in New York, including Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, Alexandra Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper.

MORE: Coco Gauff Brings Up Carlos Alcaraz During Heartfelt Birthday Tribute to Her Father at Cincinnati Open

At the Cincinnati Open, No. 4 seed Coco Gauff has since defeated fellow American and No. 28 seed Ann Li 6-1, 7-6 (3) in the third round. The world No. 4 will take on No. 22 seed Marie Bouzková in the fourth round, as she continues the hunt for her first title of the season.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.