Greg Rusedski explains why Coco Gauff will really want to play Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon

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Greg Rusedski believes Coco Gauff is relishing the chance to play Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon.

In less than a week all eyes will turn to South West London for the latest edition of tennis’ most prestigious tournament.

The players are doing all they can to be in the best shape to triumph on the hallowed in July and with no clear favourite on the WTA side, the Venus Rosewater Dish all to play for.

The tour’s top two players in Gauff and Swiatek will look to win the tournament for the first time and a showdown in the final could be on the cards.

What did Greg Rusedski say about Coco Gauff playing Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon?

Rusedski, who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon back in 1997, analysed Gauff ahead of the year’s third Grand Slam.

The American reached the French Open semi-finals where she was beaten by Swiatek for the 11th time in 12 meetings.

Should they meet at Wimbledon, Rusedski thinks Gauff would relish this challenge and see the change of surface as a prime opportunity to defeat the World number one.

“Well I think, if you look at her (Swiatek), she’s won four French Opens, one US Open. For Coco, let’s be honest, grass against Iga, she’s licking her lips,” he told Tennis Channel. “She’s thinking, ‘That’s my time to start squaring up this rivalry’.

“I think Brad Gilbert has done a great job with her, and I think they’re probably saying, ‘Okay, semis [at the French Open] is solid, we didn’t play our best in the semis. But now we got Wimbledon coming on, this is our one after winning the US Open last year.’ So I think the rivalry will be there.”

What are Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek’s Wimbledon records?

Neither Gauff or Swiatek has gone beyond the Wimbledon quarter-finals. The 20-year-old has gone as far as the fourth round on two occasions, the first of which came in 2019.

This is the year she announced herself on the world stage by beating Venus Williams in round one. The World number two advanced to that same stage again in 2021.

Wimbledon is currently Swiatek’s weakest slam. In 2022 her 37-match winning streak, the longest in the 21st century, was ended at the All-England Club by the now retired Alize Cornet.

She achieved her best result in 2023 by reaching the last eight for the first time. She will hope to build on that result in 2024 despite not playing any grass court matches leading up to the tournament.