Coco Gauff celebrated her 20th birthday in style with a win at the Indian Wells 2024 on . The American star dispatched Elise Mertens 6-0, 6-2 to enter the quarterfinals of the competition. While it is not unusual for a players to win a match on their birthday, Gauff has joined a list of couple of stars to do it in style.
Coco Gauff has now joined Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz as players to have won a Grand Slam title and won a match on their 20th birthday. In a sport as competitive as tennis, winning a Grand Slam at such a young stage is an extraordinary achievement itself.
Coco Gauff – Coco Gauff won her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2023. The American teenage prodigy won in her home slam with the support of vocal fans. The World No.3 has been in dominant form since then and challenging for major titles. At the Indian Wells 2024, Gauff won the Round on 16 match on her 20th birthday on March 13, 2024 and made her way into the quarterfinals.
Carlos Alcaraz – Carlos Alcaraz was widely regarded as the next big thing in tennis in his earlier days. The Spanish star justified the claims by winning two Grand Slam titles as a teenager. The Spaniard won the US Open in 2022 and followed it up with Wimbledon in 2023. Also, Alcaraz won against Borna Coric on his 20th birthday. The young Spaniard defeated Coric at the Madrid Open semifinals in 2023 to celebrate his birthday in style, which happens to be on May 5.
Rafael Nadal – Rafael Nadal has won 22 Grand Slam titles throughout his career. Having won his first French Open title in 2005, the Spaniard defeated Paul-Henri Mathieu, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on his 20th birthday at the French Open 2006, on his way to retain the title. That day was June 3, 2006.
Nadal has won on his birthday not once, but twice. The Spanish star defeated Richard Gasquet at the French Open in 2021, to claim yet another victory on 3rd June.
Now, Coco Gauff has joined the Spanish duo in winning a Grand Slam and winning a match on their birthday. With Alcaraz and Gauff still only 20, they will try to emulate the success of Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard has had an extraordinary career so far, and the new generation of players will try and emulate it.
