Coco Gauff makes it very clear who she thinks is the favourite to win Roland Garros.
The tennis star is in pursuit of her second Grand Slam title and she would love the French capital to be the place where she makes that dream become a reality.
In order to have a chance of success at the clay major, she is likely to face defending champion Iga Swiatek, a three-time French Open champion.
The American will be seeded three in Paris, meaning she could face the World Number One in the semi-finals in a rematch from last year.
2024 would mark the third successive year that the two players will have met at Roland Garros, and Gauff wants to reverse that result should they meet on court Philippe Chatrier once again.
Coco Gauff states who is the favourite to win Roland Garros
Gauff believes Swiatek is the favourite to successfully defend her Roland Garros crown given her record on clay.
The 22-year-old has captured the Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid and French Open titles in her career, and she is on an 11-match winning run on the clay.
Should she capture the Rome Open title she will have achieved the Madrid and Rome double, something no other WTA player has managed since Serena Williams in 2013.
Given Swiatek’s clay-court record and imperious form, Gauff says the biggest challenge facing her at Roland Garros is dethroning the two-time defending champion.
“I think going into Roland Garros, like if you asked me pre-tournament [vs.] now, I feel like I’m a different player in terms of just how I’ve been playing,” Gauff told reporters.
“Going into it, I know she’s the one to beat if I want to win Roland Garros. I’m going to take what I learned from today and try to apply that next time we play, which I hope is at Roland Garros.”
What is Coco Gauff’s French Open record?
Gauff has made four previous appearances at the French Open. Her record stands at 15 wins and four losses, with a win percentage of 79%.
This is her highest win percentage at any of the Grand Slam events. She reached the second round on her debut in 2020, at just 16 years of age.
The following year the American reached her first ever Grand Slam quarter-final, where she lost to Barbora Krejčíková who went on to win the title.
Gauff backed up that performance by reaching her first major final in 2022, but was on the receiving end of a dominant Swiatek performance.
She was also runner-up in the women’s doubles that year alongside US compatriot Jessica Pegula. The World Number One beat her again the following year and this is something Gauff wants to change should they meet in 2024.
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