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Coco Gauff has sent out a word of caution to Iga Swiatek ahead of their blockbuster clash in the semifinals of the 2025 Madrid Open. Despite Swiatek's talents on clay, the American did not shy away from confidently expressing faith in her ability to beat her rival.
Gauff took on Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 event and produced an impressive performance to claim a 7-5, 6-1 victory in one hour and 32 minutes. On the other hand, Swiatek mounted a remarkable comeback after losing the opening set against Madison Keys, winning 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 to keep her hopes of a successful title defense alive.
Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek are now set to meet in their 15th tour-level encounter. Gauff shared her thoughts on the upcoming clash in an appearance on the Tennis Channel, acknowledging the formidable challenge of facing the Pole on clay, which is her favorite surface.
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Nevertheless, the American proudly highlighted her consistent improvement during her run in Madrid and confidently asserted that she had a good chance of beating Swiatek. Gauff also said she was looking forward to testing herself against one of the best players in the world.
"I mean, she's obviously tough on clay, on any surface, but especially on clay. The last two times we played were on hard court so again, I'm going to approach it like a different kind of match and different meetup. But hopefully I can go out there and play great tennis like I did today," Coco Gauff said.
"I feel like I have a good chance to win. Overall, I think it's just I'm getting better with each match. I feel like today was back to the level I was playing earlier this year and I'm super excited to play tomorrow and match up my game against one of the best in the world," she added.
Iga Swiatek enjoys a dominant 11-3 lead in her head-to-head record against Coco Gauff. However, the American won their two most recent encounters at the 2024 WTA Finals and this year's United Cup.
Coco Gauff reveals how her French Open final loss to Iga Swiatek changed her mindset
In the same interview, Coco Gauff candidly reflected on how she had been entirely overwhelmed during her 6-1, 6-3 loss to Iga Swiatek in the 2022 French Open. The World No. 4 disclosed that she had promised herself that she wouldn't allow that to happen again.
Gauff shared that she hadn't been overcome by nerves while facing tough opponents in the later stages of major tournaments since then.
"I learned, the first moment I lost the final of the French Open and I felt like I was too overwhelmed by the moment and I thought I'm never going to let myself do that again and just minimize it as much as possible. Ever since then, when I get into these finals or semis, I don't go out there nervous. I go out there playing my game and if I lose, it's not because I'm nervous, it just wasn't my day," Gauff said.
If Coco Gauff triumphs over Iga Swiatek in the semifinals of the Madrid Open, she will battle it out against the winner of the match between Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina in a blockbuster final at the WTA 1000 event.
