Coco Gauff Reveals Locker Room Atmosphere After Iga Swiatek’s Subpar Performance on Clay
Coco Gauff, at the Italian Open, is bidding to win her first trophy since winning the 2024 WTA Finals.
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Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)
While Coco Gauff is inching closer to her first title of the season, Iga Swiatek‘s story is different. Since winning the French Open last year, she has failed to reach a singles final.
She was expected to end her trophy drought on the European clay swing. But the results were: a defeat to Jelena Ostapenko in the Stuttgart Open quarterfinals and, a defeat to Gauff in the Madrid Open semifinals.
Then in the Italian WTA 1000 event, Danielle Collins knocked the defending champion out in the third round. It will be interesting to see if Swiatek adds another tournament to her schedule to get some match practice before the French Open.
Swiatek is the defending champion in Madrid, Rome, as well as in Paris, where last year, she won her fourth French Open title. She doesn’t have high hopes for the French Open now. Amidst her slump in form, how the dressing room is reacting? Gauff thinks Swiatek’s subpar performance perhaps has made her opponents more confident about their chances on the clay swing.
When you see someone who has won Roland Garros many times not having the best results, clearly some things change. Women’s tennis is best-of-three sets, even in Grand Slams; this definitely gives players a lot of confidence when facing her. On the other hand, you must respect that she has won in Paris four times.
Coco Gauff said at the press conference
Gauff, who secured her fourth win over the five-time Grand Slam champion in their 15th encounter in Madrid, is convinced that Swiatek will find her form again. The 21-year-old also knows that the result in Madrid won’t matter to her if she gets pitted against Swiatek in Paris this year.
Coco Gauff reveals the advice she gave to Alexandra Eala
In Rome, Coco Gauff is also playing doubles with Alexandra Eala, the 19-year-old from Phillippines and a graduate of the Rafa Nadal Academy, who hogged the limelight after knocking out Iga Swiatek in the Miami Open quarterfinals. After eliminating Swiatek in Miami, she lost to Jessica Pegula in the semifinals.
Gauff, who said they both did not know each other before Rome, received a text from Eala who asked the American to play doubles. Eala’s Rome Open run came to an end when Marta Kostyuk knocked her out in the first round. Gauff had a piece of advice for Eala which can make her a better player.
She seems chill. She seems like she’s working hard, so I don’t have any advice for her just because she seems relaxed. The only thing I did tell her was that doubles helped me a lot in that space, having some time on court where it’s a little less stressful.
Coco Gauff told reporters
The pair of Gauff and Eala knocked out Fanny Stollar and Alexandra Panova in their opening round to set up a clash with Tyra Caterina Grant and Lisa Pigato. Eala, who also progressed to the Canberra International semifinal, hasn’t yet lifted a title this season.
Coco Gauff to play Mirra Andreeva in the Italian Open quarterfinals
Coco Gauff is scheduled to lock horns with Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open, which will also be their second encounter on the tour this year, following the Madrid Open quarterfinals. Gauff had won that match in the Spanish capital and after knocking out Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, she lost the final to World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Gauff holds a 3-0 head-to-head record over the 18-year-old Russian. Before setting up the clash with the 2023 US Open champion, Andreeva knocked out Clara Tauson. She is chasing her third WTA 1000 title after winning the Dubai Open and Indian Wells.
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