Iga Swiatek Gives Honest Assessment of Matches Against Coco Gauff After Four Consecutive Defeats: “She Improved”

Since clinching her career’s second win over Iga Swiatek in the 2024 WTA Finals, Coco Gauff went on to win three more matches against the Pole to improve her head-to-head record to 5-11. The American defeated Swiatek in last year’s United Cup final, Madrid Open semifinal, and in this year’s United Cup semifinals.

Both players have already booked a spot in the second round of the ongoing Australian Open. Gauff breezed past Kamilla Rakhimova, but the 24-year-old struggled a bit against Chinese qualifier Yue Yuan before eventually completing the match in straight sets. Following the win, the six-time Grand Slam champion was asked in the press conference whether her four consecutive defeats to Gauff bothered her.

Honestly, it doesn’t. When I was winning against her, it didn’t. That’s why I guess it was possible for me to continue. Because I wasn’t taking it for granted or coming to a match unfocused. I guess it kind of tells you something more about the game, or things you should work on or improve. Also, she improved. The head-to-head doesn’t really matter. Maybe for her, if you ask the same question, it’s different. But I just really want to treat every match as a separate story. Every match is also in different conditions.

The last time the former World No.1 beat the two-time Grand Slam singles champion was in the semifinals of the 2024 Roland Garros, which the former later won by defeating Jasmine Paolini in the final. When Gauff was asked in a press conference how she turned around her rivalry with the World No.2, she said she had to “erase the mental deficit” to play freely.

The World No.3, who will next meet Olga Danilovic, is a one-time semifinalist at Melbourne Park, reaching the stage in 2024. Last year, Paula Badosa ended her run in the quarterfinals. Swiatek lost a tough three-set semifinal to eventual champion Madison Keys. She also made the last four here in 2022.

Jim Courier backs Iga Swiatek to win the Australian Open

Iga Swiatek will complete the Career Grand Slam if she finishes the Australian Open in her favor. The winner of the 2022 US Open and the four Roland Garros titles, Swiatek last year ended her title drought by double bageling Amanda Anisimova in the Wimbledon final. Former player Jim Courier on Tennis Channel backed both Swiatek and men’s World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz to achieve the Career Grand Slam feat. So far, six men and seven women have achieved this.

I’ve got two athletes doing something at a very young age that is really rare in this sport. I’ve got a double career Slam happening here. Iga Swiatek is completing her set of all the majors, and Carlos Alcaraz is echoing that a day later; that’s what I’m thinking.

Jim Courier said

Alcaraz has clinched each of the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open twice, but in Melbourne, he has never made it past the quarterfinals, losing in four sets twice in the stage in the previous two years (to Alexander Zverev in 2024 and to Novak Djokovic in 2025).

If he wins, the 22-year-old will surpass Rafael Nadal to become the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam. The Spaniard, after knocking out Adam Walton, has scheduled a second-round clash with Yannick Hanfmann, against whom he holds a 1-0 head-to-head lead, having defeated the German in the 2023 China Open.

Swiatek’s second-round opponent is Marie Bouzkova, who went past Renata Zarazua in straight sets. The second seed holds a 2-0 head-to-head lead over the Czech ace.

Also read: Novak Djokovic Pays the Ultimate Tribute to Roger Federer After Australian Open Retirement Exhibition