Coco Gauff of Atlanta, Georgia is the last American left in singles action at the 2024 French Open. The 2023 United States Open champion and world number three will face a four-time grand slam champion in Iga Swiatek of Poland, the world number one, in the women’s semifinals on Thursday. Three of Swiatek’s four grand slam titles have been at the French Open as she won in 2020, 2022 and 2023. Swiatek’s other grand slam title came in Gauff’s home country of the United States, as she won the U.S. Open in 2022.
How did Gauff reach the semifinals?
Gauff defeated the eighth seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia in the quarterfinals, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Gauff made the most of her break point opportunities. She only had five in the entire match, but broke Jabeur on four occasions. Jabeur is a three-time grand slam finalist from the past, but has not yet won her first grand slam title. She previously reached the final of the United States Open and Wimbledon in 2022, and Wimbledon in 2023.
Swiatek entering the semifinals red hot
Swiatek is number one in the world for a reason. She has simply been amazing lately. In her last two wins (a fourth round win over Russia’s Anastasia Potapova and a quarterfinal win over reigning Wimbledon champion and fifth seed Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic), Swiatek has only lost two games. She beat Potapova 6-0, 6-0, and Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2.
Swiatek versus Gauff head-to-head
Swiatek has dominated Gauff in the past as she has won 10 of 11 meetings. Gauff’s lone win came in the semifinals of Cincinnati in 2023, 7-6, 3-6, 6-4.
Gauff’s prior three grand slam semifinals
Gauff’s first grand slam semifinal came at the 2022 French Open as she beat Italy’s Martina Trevisan 6-3, 6-1. She then beat Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-5 in the semifinals of the 2023 United States Open, and then lost to Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 7-6, 6-4 in the semifinals of the 2024 Australian Open.
Who is in the other semifinal?
The 12th seed, Jasmine Paolini of Italy will face the unseeded Russian Mirra Andreeva. Paolini beat Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. Andreeva beat the 2023 and 2024 Australian Open champion Sabalenka, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4. Andreeva won their only prior match, 7-6, 6-4 in the fourth round of Madrid this year.
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