Coco Gauff believes Emma Raducanu’s surprise US Open win has inspired the rest of the women’s field to believe they can challenge for the top prizes.
British teenager Raducanu shocked the sporting world when she came through qualifying to triumph at Flushing Meadows last year.
Gauff is through to her second French Open quarter-final following a 6-4 6-0 victory over Elise Mertens, and the draw has opened up for the 18-year-old.
With nine of the top 10 seeds already out, and world number one Iga Swiatek in the other half of the draw, a run to her first grand slam final looks a real possibility.
But the American 18th seed feels there are still a host of players capable of a Raducanu-style tilt at the title.
Gauff, who like Raducanu made her breakthrough at Wimbledon, in 2019, said: “I’m thinking, especially if US Open taught us anything, that anybody can win on any day.
“I think all players should really go into the match thinking about that.
“I think for me I’ve always believed that I could go far, but for other players I think so as well.
“In this tournament, I mean, both sides of the draw, with the exception of Iga, there are a lot of lower-seeded and lower-ranked players still left in the tournament.
“So I really think that players believe that. Other players believe that. I think a lot of it stems from that tournament.”
Leylah Fernandez, the runner-up to Raducanu in New York, is still in the mix after beating Amanda Anisimova 6-3 4-6 6-3.
The 19-year-old from Canada will play Italian world number 59 Martina Trevisan, who beat Raducanu’s conqueror Aliaksandra Sasnovich 7-6 (10) 7-5, in the last eight.
