Iga Swiatek faces ‘monumental’ Coco Gauff test early on in her pursuit to US Open

The World No. 1 is scheduled to face Rebecca Peterson of Sweden in the first round.

Iga Swiatek faces ‘monumental’ Coco Gauff test early on in her pursuit to US Open

Iga Swiatek with the 2022 US Open title (Imago)

The US Open women’s singles main draw was revealed earlier today. There was a bit of controversy surrounding the draws as it was held behind closed doors instead of the usual televised draws. The reigning champion Iga Swiatek‘s title defense starts against Rebecca Peterson of Sweden. Iga Swiatek’s quarter has three Grand Slam champions including Caroline Wozniacki and Petra Kvitova.

The World No. 1 is slated for a quarterfinal showdown against American teen sensation Coco Gauff if seedings hold. The potential quarterfinal encounter will be the ninth head-to-head encounter between the pair. Gauff got her first win over Swiatek in eight tries in last week’s Cincinnati semifinals. The World No. 6 has had a hugely successful North American hard-court swing. 

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Gauff won the Washington Open earlier this month, beating Maria Sakkari in the final. It was her first WTA 500 singles title. The American followed it up with her first WTA 1000 title at the Cincinnati Masters. The World No. 6 beat Karolina Muchova in straight sets to clinch the title. This was her biggest singles title to date.

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In a potential road to the final based on the higher seeds prevailing, Swiatek would face 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the semis. The head-to-head heavily favors the World No. 4. The duo has played each other four times, with Swiatek winning only one. The final would feature the top two players in the world. Swiatek is predicted to face Aryna Sabalenka in a mouth-watering contest. The Australian Open champion lost in the semis of the previous two editions of the US Open.

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Iga Swiatek’s run-up to the US Open

Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek (Image via Reuters)

The four-time Grand Slam champion has had an average North American hard-court swing by her lofty standards. Swiatek was knocked out in the semi-final of the National Bank Open by eventual champion Jessica Pegula. The World No. 1 faced a similar fate in the Cincinnati Masters, as she was knocked out of the semis by eventual champion Coco Gauff.

Swiatek recently broke into the top 10 of players by weeks at the No. 1 position. The Polish international has spent 72 weeks at the top of the rankings. Swiatek received a warm reception from fans on her return to Arthur Ashe Stadium for practice.

The top quarter could also feature a second-round meeting between two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, the No. 11 seed, and former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki if they both win their opening matches.

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