After witnessing Coco Gauff’s win at the 2025 French Open, the former coach of Serena Williams, Rick Macci, predicted that the young American will ascend to the World No. 1 ranking. However, he cautioned that her journey to the top of women’s tennis will not be without its challenges.
In the lead-up to the clay-court Major, Gauff competed at the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, where she finished as the runner-up after losing to Aryna Sabalenka and Jasmine Paolini in the finals.
Serena Williams’ Former Coach Rick Macci Believes Coco Gauff Will Be No. 1 After Witnessing French Open Win
At the 2025 French Open, Gauff, seeded second, defeated Olivia Gadecki, Marie Bouzková, Ekaterina Alexandrova, and Madison Keys to reach the final. In the championship match, she overcame the top seed, Sabalenka, with a scoreline of 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4, securing her first singles title at Roland Garros. It was her second Grand Slam singles title, and her third Major title overall.
Following Gauff’s win at the French Open, Macci took to social media to express his admiration for the 21-year-old’s fighting spirit, which he believes will propel her to the World No. 1 position in the WTA rankings.
Macci acknowledged that while her path may be fraught with “bumpy patches,” her “rock solid backbone” will enable her to navigate these challenges and ultimately reach the top.
“The way Coco fights digs and Scratches at 21 there still will be bumpy Patches but number one is around the Bend and her rock solid backbone is her best Friend. @CocoGauff,” Macci posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The way Coco fights digs and Scratches at 21 there still will be bumpy Patches but number one is around the Bend and her rock solid backbone is her best Friend. @CocoGauff
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) June 11, 2025
‘Coco Is a Great Role Model for Every Young Athlete’ — Rick Macci
After Gauff’s win over Sabalenka in the final of the 2025 French Open, Macci expressed his admiration for the World No. 2. He mentioned that Gauff serves as a “role model” for young athletes across all sports, attributing her success to her strong “mindset.”
“Coco is a great role model for every young athlete in any sport that having the mindset to REMEMBER TO FORGET and never QUIT is the CENTERPIECE of the Rolland-Garros 2025 champion we saw on CENTER COURT. @CocoGauff,” Macci posted on X.
Coco is a great role model for every young athlete in any sport that having the mindset to REMEMBER TO FORGET and never QUIT is the CENTERPIECE of the Rolland-Garros 2025 champion we saw on CENTER COURT. @CocoGauff
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) June 8, 2025
The 70-year-old coach also described her and her match mentality as “world class.”
“Coco is WORLD CLASS and her parents training her mentally has been WORLD CLASS and the entire family has CLASS. She has shown the world a MASTERCLASS in fighting spirit. The Delray Dart just bagged her second SLAM because she is a LION and not a LAMB. @CocoGauff,” Macci continued.
Coco is WORLD CLASS and her parents training her mentally has been WORLD CLASS and the entire family has CLASS. She has shown the world a MASTERCLASS in fighting spirit. The Delray Dart just bagged her second SLAM because she is a LION and not a LAMB. @CocoGauff
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) June 8, 2025
Macci characterized her as the “real deal,” who is quick on the court and authentic off the court.
“Coco is the REAL deal. To her this is SURREAL. On court REAL QUICK. Off court REAL AUTHENTIC. @CocoGauff,” Macci added.
Coco is the REAL deal. To her this is SURREAL. On court REAL QUICK. Off court REAL AUTHENTIC. @CocoGauff
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) June 11, 2025
Looking ahead, Gauff will kick off her grass court season at the 2025 Berlin Tennis Open, which begins on June 16, 2025.