"The odds were never in Coco Gauff’s favour" - Andrea Petkovic on the American losing to Iga Swiatek at French Open 2024 SF

Andrea Petkovic recently gave her thoughts on Coco Gauff's defeat to Iga Swiatek in the semifinals of the 2024 French Open. Following her victory over the American athlete, the World No.1 went on to claim her fourth title at the clay court Major.

Top seed and two-time defending champion, Swiatek, entered the final four at Roland Garros with an impressive winning streak. There she faced off against Gauff, defeating her 6-2, 6-4 in just one hour and 37 minutes at Court Philippe Chatrier. This victory secured the World No.1's spot in her third consecutive French Open final.

This win also highlighted Coco Gauff's struggle to take a set off of Iga Swiatek on clay, with the Pole now boasting 11 wins out of their 12 meetings on the WTA Tour. Andrea Petkovic commented on the challenges and pressure Gauff faced in playing against Swiatek, who has dominated their matchups

Petkovic further stated that the odds of Gauff defeating Swiatek on clay, the World No.1's favored surface and the site of her greatest successes, was closer to nil.

"Imagine walking out on court against somebody who has been the player to beat on clay and who you have a 1:10 losing record against. That is what Coco Gauff had to try and contend with in her semifinals match against world number one Iga Swiatek. Having a terrible head-to-head with somebody can give you the freedom to try new things and experiment with game plans," Petkovic wrote on Substack.

The German also expressed admiration for Coco Gauff's courage in stepping onto Philippe Chatrier, pushing herself beyond her comfort zone and facing Iga Swiatek.

"We are on Iga’s favourite surface, at her most successful tournament, after she’s won back-to-back tournaments. The odds were never in Coco’s favour and I have nothing but admiration for her coming out on Philippe Chatrier and trying to play completely out of her comfort zone. She hit the ball 8 miles per hour on average faster in the first set compared to all of her previous matches at the French Open," she added.

Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek have faced each other thrice on the Grand Slam stage

French Open 2022

Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek have competed against each other three times at the Grand Slam tournaments, all at the prestigious French Open.

Their first encounter occurred in the final of the 2022 French Open, where Swiatek defeated Gauff 6–1, 6–3 to claim the championship. This victory marked the World No.1's second title at Roland Garros.

Gauff and Swiatek crossed paths again at the clay court Major last year, meeting in the quarterfinals. Iga Swiatek emerged victorious with a score of 6–4, 6–2. She then went on to win the title by defeating Karolina Muchova 6–2, 5–7, 6–4 in the final to secure her third French Open title and fourth Grand Slam overall

The most recent and third encounter between Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek took place in the semifinals of this year's French Open, where the Pole once again emerged as the winner.