Friday, August 8, 2025
Home Tenis Anything less than a French Open title will be a disappointment for...

Anything less than a French Open title will be a disappointment for Coco Gauff now: Here’s why

Coco Gauff will be one of the favorites to win the upcoming French Open for a couple of reasons. First of all, she’s a player who has stood in the final before, having done so in 2022.

Ad

That run was a pretty interesting one because Gauff wasn’t playing her best tennis or close to her best tennis, but she had a bit of a fortunate draw overall, and it was a bit of a weird event where most of the top names kind of fell apart, so Iga Swiatek essentially had a run to the trophy.

The Polish player had no problems beating Gauff in the final, who simply wasn’t really ready to win the trophy at that point in her career. Gauff was still very young, her game wasn’t as developed as it is right now, especially her baseline game, which is what clay tennis comes down to.

Ad

She was mostly winning matches based on her athleticism, as she was a supreme mover who was able to track down many balls and send them over the net, which can be a very good tactic on clay. Since then, however, the tour has moved to a more aggressive approach.

Most players are now packing serious power into their shots, so that’s not enough anymore. You have to actually be a consistent hitter, which Gauff has managed to do as well.

Ad

So having that experience will surely help. She also won a Grand Slam in the meantime, so she has that experience to fall back upon as well. She’s also won some other big trophies and generally developed her game into something more complete and dangerous to the rest of the tour.

She’s essentially matured as a player, and as one of the best players in the world, naturally she will be one of those capable of winning the trophy. On top of all that, she’s just always been a very good clay performer.

Ad

Last year, she made the semifinals, where Iga Swiatek once again proved better, but she has a 72-28 record on clay all time, so it’s pretty clear that this is a surface where she can do well. The biggest reason why she’s going to be favored is because of how she’s played on the surface this year.


Gauff’s 2025 Clay Season

French Open Tennis Tournament. Roland-Garros 2024. - Source: Getty
French Open Tennis Tournament. Roland-Garros 2024. - Source: Getty

As we said in the title, anything less than a final would be a major disappointment for Gauff, but even making the final might not be enough. Her goal in Paris will be to win the trophy, and that is what the proper measuring stick will be.

Ad

A final would be an interesting result in a vacuum, but overall, it would still be a disappointing outing. Having had an excellent clay season so far has raised the bar for what would be a good clay season, and winning the event would be that.

At the time of writing this, Gauff has an 11-2 record on clay. That’s really good and among the best marks of the season. She started off in Stuttgart, where she made the quarterfinals, losing to Jasmine Paolini. Then she made her way to Madrid, which is a unique clay event, but that didn’t bother Gauff.

Ad

She made the final there, losing to Aryna Sabalenka in two sets. The run to the final included massive wins over Mirra Andreeva, who is a fantastic clay player herself. She also bested Iga Swiatek, who has had her number on clay so far. It was a battering, 6-1, 6-1, so quite notable.

Now in Rome, she once again had a tremendous run, making the final, in which she will contest against Jasmine Paolini. There is an expectation that this time around she will be able to beat Paolini as opposed to Stuttgart because she has looked a tiny bit better than the Italian.

Ad

Whatever happens in that final won’t change the fact that she has had a tremendous warm-up to Roland Garros. The expectations should be adjusted to that because she has been a very consistent performer whose level has been very sharp.

That level is certainly good enough to win Roland Garros, and now it comes down to the draw and whether she can actually show up in the way that matters when it matters the most.

The expectations are certainly there, and anything but a final would be a huge disappointment. Even making a final might not be enough, considering how good she’s played. Either way, Gauff is a name to keep an eye on when it comes to the upcoming French Open because she will be prominently featured, whether as the winner or as a player who failed to win it.

Quick Links

Edited by Mitali
RELATED ARTICLES

WATCH: Ben Shelton left speechless by shocking interruption during Canadian Open final vs Karen Khachanov right after Victoria Mboko’s win

As the men's and women's singles finals took place alongside each other at the Canadian Open, Ben Shelton and Karen Khachanov's match in Toronto was briefly interrupted when the audience in the stands started cheering for Victoria Mboko, the Canadian teen sensation who took down Naomi Osaka in Montreal. The American was subsequently left speechless

Victoria Mboko heritage: Everything you need to know about the Canadian Open champ’s nationality, parents, ethnicity, and more

Victoria Mboko of Canada beat Naomi Osaka of Japan in three sets to win the Canadian Open title last Thursday, August 7. It was the first career tournament win for the Canadian, who is still only 18 and ranked 24th in the world. Ad Mboko is bound to improve her ranking with her title triumph.

“I forgot” – Naomi Osaka reveals real reason behind not congratulating Victoria Mboko on Canadian Open win

Naomi Osaka has issued a clarification about snubbing Victoria Mboko while delivering her speech after losing the women's singles final of the 2025 National Bank Open in Montreal, Canada, to the 18-year-old home favorite. The Japanese WTA icon's snub stirred controversy, as several journalists and fans perceived it as an act lacking in class from

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisment -

Most Popular

“Keep goin killa”: Trae Young gives heartfelt compliment to Ben Shelton after his landmark achievement

Trae Young offered heartfelt compliments to Ben Shelton after the tennis star overcame odds to become the youngest American to win the ATP Masters 1000 championship in two decades. Ad On Thursday, Shelton shared pictures from his victory on Instagram. In one photo, he is seen holding the trophy and lifting it while celebratory sparks

Matt Barnes takes major offense after being compared to Karl Malone and Kobe Bryant by fan over sexual assault allegations 

Former Clippers player Matt Barnes took offense on Thursday after being compared to Karl Malone and Kobe Bryant in a discussion about sexual assault allegations. Ad The conversation began on Patrick Beverley’s podcast, where the former Bulls guard appeared unaware of the allegations involving Karl Malone. According to multiple reports, Malone allegedly impregnated a 13-year-old

WATCH: Ben Shelton left speechless by shocking interruption during Canadian Open final vs Karen Khachanov right after Victoria Mboko’s win

As the men's and women's singles finals took place alongside each other at the Canadian Open, Ben Shelton and Karen Khachanov's match in Toronto was briefly interrupted when the audience in the stands started cheering for Victoria Mboko, the Canadian teen sensation who took down Naomi Osaka in Montreal. The American was subsequently left speechless

“Your bro is a terrible base runner”: Klay Thompson takes playful jab at Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado after Sandlot date with Megan Thee Stallion

Dallas Mavericks star Klay Thompson had a playful jab at St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado on Thursday. The guard's remark was after a friendly ball game as he took Megan Thee Stallion on a Sandlot date. Ad Thompson shared a 14-slide post on Instagram from his latest activity during the off-season. The four-time

Recent Comments