Coco Gauff has already set the tone for her French Open title defense, following up a quarterfinal run in Stuttgart with her ongoing campaign in Madrid. While the world No. 3 has the tools to retain her Roland Garros crown, former player CoCo Vandeweghe believes the ‘winning or failing’ pressure may be on her mind.
Coco Vandeweghe Explains Why Coco Gauff May See the French Open as a ‘Win or Fail’
Gauff’s 2026 season has been steady rather than standout, reflected in an 18–7 record, with her runner-up finish in Miami marking her best result so far. The two-time Grand Slam champion now has an opportunity to shift momentum during the clay-court swing leading up to Roland Garros, where she returns as the defending champion after her win over Aryna Sabalenka last year. Notably, she reached both the Madrid and Rome finals on her way to the French Open title last year.
The world No. 3 started her Madrid Open campaign with a comprehensive straight-set win over Léolia Jeanjean. In the wake of Gauff’s triumph, former world No. 9 Vandeweghe was asked what makes her so great on the surface.
“Because she does everything well on the clay courts. So you need to do well. You need to be able to move well, and you need to be able to transition out of the corners. Coco does that fantastic. And it also doesn’t put as much pressure on her serve, because she is able to defend it that much better,” she said on Tennis Channel.Â
Vandeweghe said clay produces more second serves and higher bounces, which suit Gauff’s game, giving her time on groundstrokes.
“When it gets into a lot of second serve looks and it makes the bounces really jump for Coco, which can help her forehand and off the ground. So everything. So everything that gets a little bit weaker when we get to the faster surface becomes her strength when we get to the clay courts,” she added.
Vandeweghe said Gauff typically builds form as the season progresses and doesn’t start strongly early. The 34-year-old added that, as a two-time Grand Slam champion and defending French Open champion, Gauff could view the tournament in ‘win or fail’ terms,
“We have seen in the years past that she does get better as the season goes on. She hasn’t really ever started too well when it comes to the Australian Open and then heading into the American swing of Indian Wells and Miami. And I think Coco needs to take a little bit of breath and being that she’s a Grand Slam Champion twice over, defending champ at Roland Garros, it’s gonna be a win or fail in her mind, because she’s won it before,” Vandeweghe said.
“But let me tell you this, nice guys finish first. So we are gonna keep with the clay. It’s fun to have the jerk, but nice guys finish first, ” Gauff added.
Gauff endured an early wobble on serve, dropping two of her first three service games, but quickly seized control by breaking Léolia Jeanjean four times to run away with the opening set. Jeanjean struggled to find rhythm behind her serve, landing only half of her first deliveries, and Gauff capitalized efficiently, winning 54% of those points and dominating her opponent’s second serve.
From that point onward, Gauff tightened her grip on serve and remained unbroken for the rest of the match. She delivered with remarkable consistency, landing 81% of her first serves and converting 61% of those points. The American eventually secured a 6-3, 6-0 win in just 82 minutes to reach the third round of the Madrid Open. Gauff will next face Sorana Cîrstea and is favored with a 69% chance of advancing to the next round, according to PFSN’s exclusive simulator.
