Coco Gauff recently reflected on the moment her “biggest dream” of winning a Grand Slam title was shattered by Iga Świątek in the 2022 French Open final. The two players have faced off 15 times on the WTA Tour, with the former World No. 1 emerging victorious in 11 of those encounters.
However, Gauff has turned the tide in her and Świątek’s last three matchups, winning all of them. They most recently faced each other in the semifinals of the 2025 Madrid Open, where the American triumphed with a score of 6-1, 6-1
Coco Gauff Opens Up About ‘Heart-Breaking’ French Open 2022 Final Match
At the 2022 French Open, Gauff, seeded 18th, defeated the likes of Rebecca Marino, Alison Van Uytvanck, Kaia Kanepi, and 31st seed Elise Mertens to secure her place in the quarterfinals.
Here, the World No. 2 defeated fellow American Sloane Stephens and then secured her place in the final with a victory over Martina Trevisan in the semifinals. In the championship match, Gauff faced the top seed, Świątek, and fell short, losing 1-6, 3-6, and finishing as the runner-up.
Following her defeat, the then-18-year-old Gauff displayed remarkable composure and grace during the post-match trophy presentation. She congratulated Świątek on her victory and expressed gratitude to the tournament organizers and ball kids, among others. While she thanked her team for their support, she could not hold back her tears, overwhelmed by the disappointment of not clinching the title.
In a recent Rolex documentary, Gauff recalled her loss to Świątek in the final of the 2022 French Open. She revealed that winning a Grand Slam title was her biggest dream” at that time. She admitted to placing immense pressure on herself, driven by the desire not to disappoint her supporters.
“You know, my biggest dream was to win a Grand Slam at that time. So I was very anxious, not wanting to disappoint people. I think I put too much pressure on myself,” Coco Gauff said.
The World No. 2 described the defeat as “heartbreaking,” and expressed that it felt as though her dreams had been “snatched away.”
“It was a heart-breaking match. It felt like seeing your dreams kind of snatched away,” she added.
After her runner-up finish at the 2022 French Open, Coco Gauff went on to win her first singles Grand Slam title just a year later, at the 2023 US Open, triumphing over Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
Coco Gauff To Face Olivia Gadecki in the First Round of French Open 2025
Following the conclusion of her campaign at the 2025 Italian Open, Coco Gauff will compete at the 2025 French Open, which is scheduled to take place from May 25 to June 8, 2025, at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris.
Gauff is seeded second at the clay court tournament, and she will kick off her run by facing Olivia Gadecki in the first round. This match marks their first encounter on the WTA Tour. The winner of this match between Gauff and Gadecki will advance to face either a qualifier or wild card Chloé Paquet in the second round.
This year, Gauff will be looking to improve on her semifinal finish at the 2024 French Open. During that tournament, she defeated qualifiers Julia Avdeeva and Tamara Zidanšek, 30th seed Dayana Yastremska, and eighth seed Ons Jabeur to reach the final four. Here, she faced the top seed and eventual champion, Iga Świątek, and lost.
In the doubles event last year, Coco Gauff teamed up with Kateřina Siniaková, and together they triumphed over the pair of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in the championship match to claim the title.