At only 20 years old, the American tennis player Coco Gauff She has an extraordinary career. The current number 3 in the WTA singles ranking, she has won seven titles (including the 2023 United States Open) and reached the top in doubles (in 2022). She is one of the great references on the circuit and, obviously, one of the favorites to win the WTA 1000 in Miami, which has been taking place for a few days at the Hard Rock Stadium, a complex in Miami Gardens, north of the city.
After comfortably beating Nadia Podoroska from Rosario (6-1 and 6-2) in the second round of the Miami Open, Gauff will face Frenchwoman Oceane Dodin (84°) today in the third round. Beyond that, after her success against Podoroska, the North American referred to the Argentines who make up the different teams of foreign players. The trigger for the consultation that Gauff received was her kinesiologist, from Salta. Maria Vago.
“Yes, I started with her when I was 16, I think, and we have a great relationship. She is an amazing person, good at her job. For me it is important to have people on my team that I get along with,” Gauff said at a press conference, according to ESPN. Until some time ago, the North American tennis player had the Argentine Diego Moyano as a coach, who has been living in the US for many years.
Gauff went further and referred to that sort of Legion of coaches, physical trainers and kinesiologists that works with tennis players from different geographical locations. “Within the tour, we call the Argentinians ‘the mafia’. I don’t know if you’ve ever looked at the players’ support teams, but I would say that many players have at least one Argentine in the support team, whether it’s a coach, a physiotherapist or a physical trainer. “I have gotten to know very well the way Argentinians are,” commented Gauff.
The American’s note about the number of Argentines who work on the tour is 100% real. Representatives of our country can quickly be found on the teams, for example, of the British Cameron Norrie (coach Facundo Lugones and physical trainer Julián Romero), of the Russian Veronika Kudermetova (Franco Davin), of the Chilean Nicolás Jarry (Juan Ignacio Chela ), by the American Frances Tiafoe (Moyano), by the Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas (Diego Junqueira), by the German Daniel Altmaier (Luli Mancini), by the Brazilian Felipe Meligeni (Francisco Yunis), among others. For many years, for example, Ulises Badio was Novak Djokovic’s inseparable physiotherapist.
It was very curious and nice when a few days ago, in Indian Wells, the American Tommy Paul (14th) used a phrase from a member of his team to praise the level of the Italian Jannik Sinner. “My physical trainer taught me a term they use in Argentina. “When someone plays amazing, they say ‘he’s playing naked’ and Jannik is absolutely naked right now,” Paul said. Who is his PF? The Argentine Franco Herrero. Paul’s physiotherapist is also from our country: Sebastián Cozzarín. And his second coach, Hugo Armando, was born in the US, but is from an Argentine family.
That the tennis circuit is full of Argentines in the roles of coach, physical trainer and kinesiologist is not a coincidence. Racquet sports professionals in our country tend to be passionate, dedicated and with a great appetite for progress, especially in countries with more stable economies. Argentine tennis coaches, historically, are very valuable.
The Argentine link with Tommy Paul
Sabalenka: traumatic week and farewell
A traumatic week for Aryna Sabalenka, the world number two, came to an end with a defeat in her second challenge at the Miami Open. The Belarusian competed in this WTA 1000 category tournament under the impact of the death last Monday of her ex-partner Konstantin Koltsov: the local police attributed the death of this 42-year-old former ice hockey player to an “apparent suicide.” ” after jumping from the balcony of a Miami hotel room.
Sabalenka, who wore a dark outfit in her two matches in Miami, said goodbye in a third round duel against the Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina, number 36 in the ranking, 6-4, 1-6 and 6-1. After keeping her emotions under control during her two matches in Miami, Sabalenka let out her anger after the elimination, violently smashing her racket three times against the court and leaving without shaking hands with her Ukrainian rival (of course the reason is the war conflict between Russia and Ukraine). Last Friday, the double champion of the Australian Open had debuted in Miami with a victory in two sets against the Spanish Paula Badosa, her best friend on the circuit.