Coco Gauff backs 'GOAT' Rafael Nadal for Roland Garros despite injury concerns

WATCH: Gauff played impressive tennis to advance at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on Thursday.

Coco Gauff already has her favorite to win the 2023 Roland Garros men’s title—assuming he’s in the draw, of course.

“I'm going to take him in Paris any day,” Gauff said of Rafael Nadal, who has been forced to miss the clay-court swing due to a hip injury incurred this year.

Nadal has pushed back his comeback past planned appearances in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and sent shock waves through the tennis world when he announced he would sit out the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, an event he has played every year since his 2005 debut.

Still, Gauff, who reached her first major final at Roland Garros in 2022, is hard-pressed to pick the field over a man who has hoisted the trophy a whopping 14 times.

“I don't think he needs match experience,” she said after defeating Yulia Putintseva on Thursday. “There's been times, I remember last year, he was having that problem, completely lost that match, didn't look like he was going to be ready at all.

“I made the mistake of doubting him. Next thing you know, he pretty much stormed his way to the final and won straight sets. He's just a GOAT in that way, a GOAT on clay, someone you can't underestimate.”

As for her own prospects at going one match further in the women’s draw, Gauff feels an emphasis on offense will be what she needs to win a first Grand Slam title.

“I feel like this year we can really change the way I play,” said the American, known for her athleticism and defense. “I feel like it's a crucial year for me. So I think I want to relearn and retrain myself to be aggressive.”

Seeded No. 6 in Rome, Gauff will next face No. 27 seed Marie Bouzkova for a spot in the round of 16.