Coco Gauff, currently ranked World No. 3, will begin her 2024 tennis season at the United Cup in Perth, joining a talented US team that also includes Taylor Fritz, Robert Galloway, and Danielle Collins. The tournament, which offers a $10 million prize pool, will see Gauff kick off her campaign in a team competition, marking a departure from her usual routine of starting the year with the Australian Open warm-up events in Auckland. Gauff has enjoyed great success at the Auckland tournament in recent years, winning the title twice, but this time she has chosen to skip it in favor of the United Cup.
In a press interview, Gauff shared her reasoning behind the decision, expressing her fondness for Auckland but explaining her desire to challenge herself with stronger competition. “I love Auckland. I won twice there. It was a great tournament,” she reflected. “But for me, I wanted to play a higher level of competition and also a team competition.” Gauff’s excitement about participating in a team event is rooted in her positive experience at the Paris Olympics, where she relished the camaraderie and team spirit. “The season’s already so much by ourselves that it’s nice to mix it up,” she added, noting that the energy of team competition offers a refreshing change.
Despite the shift in her preparation, Gauff remains focused on the ultimate goal of performing well at the Australian Open. “I think for all of us, the main focus is the Australian Open and doing well there,” she emphasized. The US team will begin their group stage at the United Cup on December 29, facing off against Canada, and then will take on Croatia on December 31. With her sights firmly set on Melbourne, Gauff’s decision to play in the United Cup represents a strategic approach to her early season, seeking a mix of tough competition and team collaboration before heading into the year’s first Grand Slam.
