Coco Gauff jokes she is 'Walmart version' of legend Rafael Nadal after starting clay season with win over Liudmila Samsonova in Stuttgart

Playing for the first time since losing in the Miami Open final to Aryna Sabalenka, Gauff overcame a slow start to beat Liudmila Samsonova 7-5 6-1 at the WTA 500 tournament.

Gauff was 3-0 down in the first set but recovered to reach the quarter-finals.

She was asked afterwards who she modelled her ”unique” clay game around.

”The greatest clay court player is Rafa,” she said with a smile after thinking for a few seconds.

”I don’t quite play like him but I do try to hit my forehand like he does on clay. I don’t run around as much because my forehand isn’t as good as Rafa. But I do try to hit it like him."

It was then put to an amused Gauff that she is ”kind of a right-handed Rafa version”, to which she replied: ”Like a Walmart version of Rafa." 

”I don’t want to be obliterated online. Like a lesser version of Rafa.”

Nadal is the greatest clay player in history, winning 14 French Open titles and dominating on the surface like few others have ever done.

Gauff's career achievements on clay do not yet compare, but it has been one of her most successful surfaces.

She won her second career Grand Slam title at the French Open last year and also made clay finals in Madrid and Rome.

Gauff also has her highest winning percentage among the four Grand Slams at the French Open, where she made the final in 2022 and semis in 2024.

”It’s a surface which I love and hate,” she added.

”Today there were some points where I hated it and some points where I loved it, but obviously I have a lot of success on clay, so I definitely think it’s a surface that suits my playing style. 

”I like cutting and changing direction more on hard courts, the sliding can be a little bit unpredictable sometimes. It’s fun when you hit some good ones but it’s also not fun when you are falling on the ground.

Gauff next faces Karolina Muchova, who came from a set and a break down to beat Elise Mertens 1-6 6-3 6-0.

Gauff leads the head-to-head record 6-0 against Muchova but downplayed the significance of that record.

”It’s pro sports, anybody can win on any day. 

”Obviously you take what you did well in the last matches and try to do it again, but like I said, anything can happen. She’s a great player. She’s a great clay-court player too. So I don’t take any of those matches into account. I just try to focus on the goals I have for tomorrow and hopefully I can come out with the win.”

Gauff is the second seed at the tournament behind Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina.

Rybakina won her opening match 6-2 6-4 against Diana Shnaider.

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