It all comes down to this: A three-time slam queen and World No.1 up against World No.2 and 2023’s US Open champion. On Saturday, the two tennis superstars Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff will look to create history at the French Open. In the much-awaited final clash at Court Philippe-Chatrier, the Belarusian will look to earn her maiden Suzanne Lenglen trophy. On the other hand, Gauff will try to make the best use of her second chance at the coveted slam after failing to grab it three years ago against four-time champion Iga Swiatek. This time, the Pole’s absent. Does that mean Gauff’s got a clear shot at the crown? Well, not really, according to a former WTA icon and compatriot.
Friday witnessed Aryna Sabalenka taking down the Pole to end her 26-match winning streak on the Parisian clay since 2022. On the other hand, Gauff managed to dismiss the challenge of rising French phenom Lois Boisson, who was expected to pull another upset after ousting the likes of Jessica Pegula (R16) and Mirra Andreeva (QF). The 21-year-old American didn’t give much chances to the 22-year-old local star while confirming the spot in her second summit clash in Paris.
Both the finalists are looking in good touch. However, former American pro Lindsay Davenport has come up with a strange prediction. Her first choice is not Gauff. When asked to pick one potential winner between Sabalenka and the 2024 WTA Finals winner, Davenport said, “My initial thought is Sabalenka and how she’s playing and trying to defend against that.” She added, “Let’s wait to see what the weather brings, if the roof’s closed or open on Saturday. That could be a big difference.” But what about Gauff? Doesn’t she have a chance at all?
Image Credits: Coco Gauff/Instagram
“Well, Coco the first week the level that she played, probably not good enough to win this tournament.” Perhaps it’s due to the fact that the World No.2 has shown a tendency to commit multiple unforced errors. To put it into perspective, she amassed 22 unforced errors in the first round. In the next round, the count increased to 23 and 28 in the third round encounter. In fact, she even failed to improve this weakness in the QF battle against compatriot Madison Keys, committing 41 unforced errors in that match.
But thankfully, the situation has been under control, as she improved vastly against Boisson in the semifinal, keeping her unforced errors at 15. In fact, of the 41 unforced errors in the match against Keys, only 2 came in the third set. Considering this, Davenport thinks there still might be a chance. “The level that she’s shown in the last three sets that she’s played, the third against Keys, and the two sets today (against Boisson), we’re talking about a much different Gauff.”
Speaking of the American sensation herself, there seems to be hardly any pressure of the final. Why’s that?
Coco Gauff speaks on the pressure of playing French Open final
Coco Gauff’s been through this moment before in 2022. It was her maiden slam final. However, a strong Iga Swiatek proved too good to beat. Result? The five-time slam champion and former World No.1 dominated the match with ease and lifted the trophy with a score line of 6-1, 6-3.
Gauff knows what it feels like to lose in a final. The pressure is always there. Ahead of her much-awaited clash with Aryna Sabalenka, in a press conference, she was asked on how she will make the match day manageable, especially when it comes to coping with the extreme pressure of the championship battle.
She responded, “I think just realizing how minuscule it is. Everyone is dealing with way bigger things in life than losing a final. Also realizing how many players wanted to be in this position. I’m sure there are hundreds of players that would kill to win or lose a final.”
Gauff continued, “So just knowing that makes me realize how lucky and privileged I am to be in this position. At first I thought it’d be the end of the world if I lost. And you know, the sun still rose the next day. So knowing regardless of the result, the sun will still rise.”
Recalling her final defeat back in 2022, she revealed, “I was walking around the next day and no one knew that I lost. No one cared. Some people know who I am but not everyone. Just realizing how big the moment seems in our lives is not as big in the grand scheme of things.” What are your thoughts on Coco Gauff’s prospects against Sabalenka? Who will eventually lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen this season? Let us know in the comments below.
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