American Coco Gauff has her chance at her first Grand Slam title in front of a home crowd, while Aryna Sabalenka — the soon-to-be new world No. 1 — will look to win her second major of the year. Who will win? We asked our experts:
What can Gauff do to defeat Sabalenka?
Pam Shriver: Gauff can beat Sabalenka by playing strong defense and making Sabalenka hit extra balls. Gauff’s forehand needs to be able to withstand the extreme power of Sabalenka that will target Gauff’s forehand side more than the backhand. Gauff’s serve needs to get a free point per service game or even more. Gauff needs to orchestrate the crowd support to help her at times, and continue to realize she can win a major final even without her A-game.
Cliff Drysdale: Gauff needs to continue to play defensively, using her lightning speed, but will need to be more aggressive than in her previous two matches to avoid having Sabalenka dictate totally.
Alexandra Stevenson: Gauff has to keep the same practice tactics with her forehand. Her speed seems to always be there.
It’s significant to understand what Brad Gilbert has done for Gauff with his old-school coaching. He doesn’t use the new analytics. He uses his eyes. He’s explained to her what ugly tennis really is — and how you can win with it. She will have a new…
