Coco Gauff sparks controversy with nickname for Argentine tennis professionals: “The Mafia”

25/03/2024 20:26hs.

Coco Gauff, number 3 in the WTA world ranking, who dispatched Nadia Podoroska (78th) in the first round of the WTA 1000 in Miami, lightly made a revelation that is circulating in the locker rooms of the men’s and women’s tennis circuits. Maybe she did it naively and without any intention of offending, but she can easily be disliked.

Precisely, because he played against an Argentinian, and also because another participates in his work team, the kinesiologist Maria Vagothe 20-year-old American told what nickname they gave to Argentinians who wield the racket or are part of the coaching staff: “The Mafia”.

When he began to delve deeper into the subject, he said: “Within the tour, we call the Argentinians ‘The Mafia’. I don’t know if you ever looked at the players’ support teams, he answered to a journalist, but I would say that many players have at least one Argentinian on the teamwhether it is a coach, a physiotherapist or a physical trainer.

Gauff referred to the subject when he spoke about his relationship with the woman from Salta who is part of his team: “I started with her when I was 16, I think, and we have a great relationship. He is an amazing person, good at his job.. “It’s important for me to have people on my team that I get along with.”

“I got to know very well the way of being of the Argentinians“added Gauff, the last US Open champion, who already had another Argentine as a coach, Diego Moyano.

In the current edition of the Miami Open, Podoroska, who fell in her debut with Gauff, was not the only national tennis player competing at the Hard Rock Stadium: she was also Maria Lourdes Carlé (101°), which like La Peque, lost in the premiere, with the Czech Brenda Fruhvirtova (105°).

María Vago with Cori Gauff.

Gauff is not the only one who works with Argentines

In addition to the American, who has already won seven titles and this Monday She was left out of the competition in the round of 16 against the French Caroline Garcia (27th) by 6-3, 1-6 and 6-2, there are also more tennis players who have at least one national representative on their staff.

Diego Moyano with Frances Tiafoe.

For example, Franco Davin works with the Russian Veronika Kudermetova (in addition to assisting Francisco Cerúndolo); Facundo Lugones y Julian Romero They are part of Cameron Norrie’s team; Own Moyano Today he is with local Frances Tiafoe; Franco Herrero works with Tommy Paul… The top example was Ulises Badio, a physiotherapist who was in Novak Djokovic’s group..

2024-03-25 23:26:48
#Argentines #mafia #tennis #Olé