Coco Gauff recently spoke about Iga Świątek’s performance decline ahead of the 2025 French Open. So far during the clay court swing, Świątek has reached the quarterfinals at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart and lost in the semifinals of the Madrid Open and the third round of the Italian Open—tournaments where she was the defending champion.
Świątek is a four-time French Open winner, having clinched the titles in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Coco Gauff Shares Her Thoughts on Iga Świątek’s Form Ahead of French Open 2025
Gauff is presently competing at the 2025 Italian Open in Rome. Seeded fourth at the WTA 1000 clay court event, she began her campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She triumphed over qualifier Victoria Mboko with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 scoreline in her opening match, followed by victories against 32nd seed Magda Linette (7-5, 6-3) and Emma Raducanu (6-1, 6-2), to secure her place in the quarterfinals.
During the post-match press conference following her win over Raducanu, Coco Gauff was asked whether she and her colleagues in the locker room have cultivated a new sense of self-belief, having noticed Świątek’s struggles on clay.
In response, Gauff acknowledged that the mindset of players has indeed shifted, noting that Świątek’s recent difficulties on the surface have given them “confidence” in their ability to compete against her.
“Yeah, I mean, I think for sure it changes some things when you maybe see someone who won Roland Garros that many times not having the best results. Women’s tennis is two-out-of-three sets. It’s not, like, a big difference for (indiscernible). I think it definitely gives players a lot of confidence when they come to face her,” Coco Gauff said.
Gauff, herself, halted the 23-year-old’s title defense in Madrid with a dramatic 6-1, 6-1 scoreline. She, however, mentioned that despite Świątek’s current form, her track record as a multiple-time French Open champion means she’ll always be a strong opponent.
“You also have to respect that she’s a four-time champion at Roland Garros. I always think if someone wins a tournament that many times, regardless of what shape they’re in, they can definitely figure out a way to win again,” she continued.
The American also stated that if she were to face Świątek at Roland Garros, she wouldn’t let her recent wins over the Pole influence her approach.
“If I were to play her at French Open, I would throw away the results in Madrid, not even think about it, expect her to play her best tennis,” Coco Gauff added.
Coco Gauff Will Take On Mirra Andreeva at the 2025 Italian Open 2025
Gauff is set to face seventh seed Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Italian Open.
Andreeva began her run at the Roman clay court tournament in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She defeated qualifier Emiliana Arango with a score of 6-2, 6-4 in her opening match. She beat 30th seed Linda Nosková, 6-1, 7-5, in the next round and then overcame 22nd seed Clara Tauson in a hard-fought battle, finishing 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the final eight, where she takes on Gauff.
Gauff and Andreeva have met three times on the WTA Tour, with the former World No. 2 emerging victorious in all three matches. Their most recent encounter was in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Madrid Open, where the American came out on top, with the score reading 7-5, 6-1.
The winner of the match between Coco Gauff and Andreeva will face either top seed Aryna Sabalenka or eighth seed Zheng Qinwen for a place in the final.
