Coco Gauff Loses French Open Quarterfinal To Nemesis Iga Swiatek
"You lose to someone seven times, you feel crappy,” Gauff said.
AP
LOADINGERROR LOADING
PARIS — This felt like a game Coco Gauff simply needed to claim if she intended to finally win a set, let alone a match, against No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
With shouts of “Go, Coco!” and “Allez, Coco!” emanating from the Court Philippe Chatrier stands, Gauff frittered away two break points as Swiatek served at 1-all. Then, at deuce, came the most memorable moment of Wednesday afternoon — and, while Gauff won the point, it soon would be Swiatek who seized complete control of this French Open quarterfinal that was a rematch of last year’s final.
Advertisement
A solid Iga punched her ticket to the #RolandGarros semifinals thanks to a 6-4, 6-2 win against Coco Gauff.
During a 14-stroke exchange, both women made their way to the net, and Gauff directed a swinging backhand volley right at Swiatek. The ball struck Swiatek’s right leg, and she tumbled back onto the red clay, leaving rust remnants on her white dress and arm. That set up a third break chance for Gauff, but the 19-year-old American again failed to convert, and while it soon was 2-all, Swiatek pulled away from there to a 6-4, 6-2 victory.
“I didn’t try to hit her. I was just trying to hit the ball hard in the middle of the court, and it happened to hit her, obviously. I apologized after, but I think she knows that’s part of the game. If you hit a bad ball and you decide to run to the net, there’s always a risk that you get hit — and there’s always the risk that the person might miss, trying to avoid you,” Gauff said. “If I was in her position, I wouldn’t be mad at me, either, because she ran forward. I think when I said sorry, she shook her head, and we had a mutual understanding that that was the only shot I really had.”
Advertisement
When a reporter asked Swiatek whether it’s unusual to get directly hit like that, she agreed with the premise. She also said she couldn’t be sure whether Gauff had another option.
“But I know Coco is a nice person, and she wouldn’t mean it,” said Swiatek, a 22-year-old from Poland who is seeking a third title at Roland Garros and fourth Grand Slam trophy overall. “Nothing personal. It happens.”
She improved to 7-0 against No. 6 Gauff and has won all 14 sets they’ve played against each other; that includes a 6-1, 6-3 victory for the 2022 championship in Paris.
“Obviously,” Gauff remarked, “you lose to someone seven times, you feel crappy.”
On Thursday, Swiatek will meet No. 14 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, the first woman from Brazil to reach a Grand Slam semifinal since Maria Bueno at the 1968 U.S. Open. The other women’s matchup for a berth in Saturday’s title match will be No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open in January, against unseeded Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic.
Advertisement
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.