by Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
Coco Gauff winning the 2023 U.S. Open for her first major tournament victory was obviously a hallmark event in her career.
However, it is easy to forget that Gauff’s first appearance in a major singles final came at Roland Garros in 2022, where she lost to Iga Swiatek by a 6-1, 6-3 one-sided scoreline.
Under the stewardship of her father, Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) certified coach Corey Gauff, Coco made her first deep foray into a major tournament field and announced that she was now ready to contend for major titles.
En route to the final in Paris, Gauff, then age 18, defeated Rebecca Marino, Alison Van Uytvanck, Kaia Kanepi, No. 31 seed Elise Mertens, Sloane Stephens and Martina Trevisan before losing to Swiatek by a 6-1, 6-3 scoreline.
Now, only two years later and with the addition of Brad Gilbert to her coaching team, Gauff could once again make a run at Roland Garros. While she is the reigning U.S. Open champion, Gauff will not have as much attention on her in Paris as one would expect, due in part by the spirited new WTA rivalry between Swiatek, the world No. 1, and Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 2, who played back-to-back finals against each other in both Madrid and Rome. Add to the that, the incredible swan-song season of fellow American Danielle Collins, who is playing the best tennis of her career in her final year on tour, winning the Miami Open and in Charleston and proving that she is also a Grand Slam tournament title contender.
