Former American Player Doesn’t See Coco Gauff Defending the Roland Garros

The Italian Open, which is the last WTA 1000 before Roland Garros, kicked off on Wednesday (May 6) at the Foro Italico. While many players focus on the event, they also have their eyes and hearts set on Roland Garros. Former ATP Sam Querrey admitted that he doesn’t see his fellow compatriot Coco Gauff defending the Grand Slam title.

Gauff is yet to win a title this season. The World No.4 has reached just one final on tour this season. At this time last year, she was heading to the Italian Open after a Madrid Open runner-up finish. The American star went on to reach another final in Rome, making it her second consecutive championship match.

Her hard work paid off at the French Open as she claimed her second career Grand Slam. The American star defeated Aryna Sabalenka in three sets to win the tournament. This year, she has struggled with her service techniques, which have been her biggest problem since last year. She has been heavily criticized for her poor performances.

At the Madrid Open last week, she got to the round of 16 after showing sheer power and passion by beating Sorana Cîrstea in three sets despite illness. But she couldn’t get past Linda Noskova, who defeated her 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(5). Crashing out early in Madrid saw Gauff drop to World No. 4.

Since winning the French Open, Gauff has not gotten to the semi-finals of a major tournament. At the Australian Open, she got to the quarter-finals before losing to Elina Svitolina in three sets. During a conversation on Tennis Channel, Sam Querrey noted that Gauff has been largely inconsistent this season, which makes Aryna Sabalenka the favorite to win the tournament:

At No. 2, I’ve got last year’s defending champion, Coco Gauff. Her results have been somewhat inconsistent, but she had a strong run in Miami, and I still think clay is her best surface. At No. 1, it has to be Aryna Sabalenka. She’s been world No. 1 for a while now and dominant across all surfaces. She didn’t win Roland Garros last year, but that final—especially in those windy conditions—was a battle. I still see her as the favourite.

Sabalenka has won two titles this season, but she’s yet to win a clay trophy. She skipped the Stuttgart Open following her triumph at the Sunshine Double in March. Having returned to the court at the Madrid Open, she couldn’t defend the championship, falling to Hailey Baptiste in a nervy three-set thriller in the quarter-finals.

Sam Querrey tips Mirra Andreeva and Marta Kostyuk as dark horses for the Roland Garros

Mirra Andreeva and Marta Kostyuk were the finalists at the Madrid Open last week. The two youngsters were on a hunt to win their first clay WTA 1000 title of their careers. Kostyuk came out on top in the tie, beating Andreeva in straight sets. Both players have won at least one clay tournament this season.

Andreeva triumphed at the Linz Open, while Kostyuk claimed the Rouen Open and the Madrid tournament. During the aforementioned conversation, Sam Querrey pointed out that the two stars could be the dark horses heading to the Roland Garros as they both have more wins on the surface than any of the top 10 players in the circuit:

My No. 4 is last week’s champion, Marta Kostyuk. How can you not put her at No. 4, right? She won last week and also the previous week, and it’s the way she played—she ran through the draw and has been amazing. At No. 3, I have the player she beat in the final, Mirra Andreeva. She’s been a bit more consistent on clay over the years, pretty much a regular top-10 player, and she has 12 wins on clay this year, plus a title in Linz.

Andreeva’s best run at the French Open came in 2024, when she reached the semi-finals before losing to Jasmine Paolini. Meanwhile, Kostyuk has never reached the fourth round of Roland Garros in her career, let alone the quarter-finals of a major tournament. The Ukrainian star has already withdrawn from the Italian Open due to injury.

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