"It's Coco Gauff's time" - Australian Open director Craig Tiley gets honest about backing American to triumph in Melbourne

Coco Gauff has received a vote of confidence from Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley as she continues her quest to win her maiden title at the Melbourne Slam. The American advanced to the second round of the Major with an impressive display in her tournament opener.

Gauff concluded 2024 on a high note by triumphing at the WTA Finals and commenced the new season by delivering a remarkable campaign to lead Team USA to the United Cup title. The World No. 3 continued to display her exemplary form, as she kicked off her Australian Open campaign with a dominant 6-3, 6-3 win over Sofia Kenin, which evidently impressed Tiley.

On the Tennis Channel, Craig Tiley lavished praise on Coco Gauff's outstanding run at the United Cup, expressing his belief that the American was the best player at the tournament, which also featured Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina.

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Tiley also shed light on the connection between the Melbourne Slam and the 20-year-old's sponsor New Balance, highlighting their collaborative efforts to promote Gauff on a global stage. He emphasized the World No. 3's popularity among local fans and the Tennis Australia team, asserting that it's her time to triumph at the Major.

"She finished the year so strong. She's come into the year playing great. The women's tennis matches at the United Cup were the best. They were unbelievable matches. Coco, I felt, played the best and have a keen eye on her doing well," Tiley said.

"New Balance, similarly, are one of partners, it's great. We work on helping promote her in our region and the Asia Pacific region. She's very well liked by the fans and has become very popular very quickly, as well as by our team. And we think it's Coco Gauff's time to win down in Australia, and we think she's playing the best tennis coming in," he added.

Coco Gauff to face Jodie Burrage in Australian Open 2R

Coco Gauff - Source: Getty

Continuing her quest to win her maiden Australian Open title, Coco Gauff will lock horns with Jodie Burrage in the second round, following the Brit's 6-2, 6-4 win over Leolia Jeanjean. The World No. 3 holds a 1-0 lead in their head-to-head record, having defeated Burrage 6-1, 6-1 in their only tour-level encounter at the 2023 Eastbourne International.

Despite acknowledging the "tricky" challenge ahead in an interview with Sky Sports, Burrage expressed her determination to embrace her "underdog" status and make Gauff uncomfortable, whom she described as the "best player in the world."

"I've played Coco before and she's arguably the best player in the world right now, so it's going to be a very tricky match. But I'm an underdog, and I'm taking that attitude into the match. I'm going to take it to her. I'm going to see what I can do and I'm going to try and make her as uncomfortable as I can for her," Burrage said.

The winner of the match between Coco Gauff and Jodie Burrage will square off against Leylah Fernandez or Cristina Bucsa in the third round, with Belinda Bencic, Naomi Osaka or Karolina Muchova likely awaiting in the fourth round.

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