Coco Gauff has reached another Grand Slam quarter-final, having beaten Belinda Bencic in the Australian Open fourth round.
Gauff could face Iga Swiatek in the final, but first up for the WTA number three is a meeting with Paula Badosa.
Third seed Gauff and 11th seed Badosa have met six times ahead of their Australian Open clash, with three wins each.
Gauff is ‘very grateful’ for her career so far, which already includes US Open and WTA Finals triumphs at the age of just 20.
She is fully focused on her Tennis, but was tasked with discussing an idea presented by 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic ahead of his fourth round match.
Coco Gauff shocked by Novak Djokovic’s idea to make tennis more entertaining
Djokovic wants more entertainment in tennis, a change which would make the sport potentially resemble the NBA or the NFL’s Super Bowl, with shows perhaps taking place during timeouts like changeovers or set breaks in a bid to connect more with younger audiences.
And asked if she would welcome the change in her latest press conference, Gauff said: “I mean, it’s only a minute on changeovers. I mean, it’s a great suggestion if we had like a real half-time like those sports do.
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“I think the issue is that we only have a minute, which I honestly think that our changeovers should be a little bit longer here, because by the time you walk to your seat, it’s only 45 seconds. But that’s another thing.
“Yeah, I mean, I guess it depends how long you want the show to go on. I don’t think it will be as much as like NFL where it’s like an actual 15-minute half-time. That would be maybe too long.
“I mean, I’m open. I think the sport can be fun and there are things that could happen. It would be tough with only like a minute and a half to make something like crazy happen.
-“Maybe hire some street performers on the street. Do a little quick 90-second routine, something like that. I don’t know. Yeah, that’s definitely an interesting thought. I was not expecting that from Novak. I didn’t see it.”
Will the ATP and WTA tours listen to Novak Djokovic?
It is certainly an interesting idea from Djokovic, who at 37 has witnessed plenty of changes in tennis throughout his career.
Gauff on the other end is only really just getting her career up and running, and like Djokovic is likely to witness several changes over the coming years.
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Tennis needs to keep up with the times, although the Serbian was quick to note that such changes shouldn’t be made to the more ‘conservative’ Wimbledon.
Introducing performers may be on the minds of the powers that be now that one of the all-time greats has spoken, but it should perhaps be near the bottom of their list.
Making the ATP and WTA seasons less hectic and packed may just be a priority after criticism from leading players, while fan conduct may also need analysing after complaints throughout the Australian Open so far.
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