Coco Gauff's projected path to 2024 French Open final

Coco Gauff will start her 2024 French Open campaign against Russia’s Julia Avdeeva.

A rising star on the WTA Tour, Coco Gauff has made herself a top candidate for the 2024 French Open. The American tennis star resembles Serena Williams’ aggression and Venus Williams’ mentality on the court in her way.

Coco Gauff might be a young portrayal of any other former tennis great for a few enthusiasts, but she’s utterly unique with an elite mindset to become the best player in her lane. The American won the 2023 US Open, where she defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

Coco Gauff reached the final of the clay court major in 2022, where she suffered a 6-1, 6-3 defeat against World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. Consequently, the American would look forward to improving her record on the red dirt this season. Hence, let’s take a look at Coco Gauff‘s projected path to the 2024 French Open final:

First Round: Julia Avdeeva

The World No. 3 will play her first match at the 2024 Roland-Garros against Russia’s Julia Avdeeva. The Russian tennis star has defeated Emiliana Arango, Margaux Rouvroy and Olivia Gadecki in the qualifiers. However, she’s unlikely to win against the 2022 French Open runner-up.

Second Round: Tamara Zidanšek

Slovenian tennis player Tamara Zidanšek will be waiting for Coco Gauff in the second round. A former World No. 22 and 2021 Roland-Garros semi-finalist, Tamara Zidanšek, will have enough experience of playing on the red dirt. However, due to injuries and inconsistency, Zidanšek has failed to keep up with the top stars on the Tour. Seemingly, Coco Gauff’s challenge will be an uphill battle for Zidanšek.

Third Round: Dayana Yastremska

30th seed, Dayana Yastremska is Coco Gauff’s expected opponent in the third round. Earlier this year, she reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open. However, her record on clay has been concerning. Yastremska has never managed to cross the second round at the clay court major.

Fourth Round: Beatriz Haddad Maia

Last year’s semi-finalist, Beatriz Haddad Maia is expected to face Coco Gauff in the fourth round. During her last campaign at Stade Roland Garros, she defeated Sara Sorribes Tormo and Ons Jabeur. Her best results in the clay season have been in Madrid and Strasbourg, where she reached the quarter-finals.

Interestingly, it will be the first meeting between the two tennis stars. Meanwhile, Amanda Anisimova and Liudmila Samsonova can also cross paths with Gauff if they manage to play consistently.

Quarter-final: Jelena Ostapenko or Ons Jabeur

Ons Jabeur hasn’t been in her top form recently as her performance has been heavily affected by injuries. The Tunisian tennis star has a win-loss record of 6-9 this year. In addition to that, Coco Gauff also leads Ons Jabeur 4-2 in their head-to-head record.

On the other side, Jelena Ostapenko is a former French Open champion. However, the Latvian tennis star has failed to make it past the third round since then. The two faced each other three times, with Coco Gauff winning twice.

Semi-final: Iga Swiatek

Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff have faced each other 11 times, with the Polish tennis star winning 10. Earlier this year, they also locked horns against each other at the Italian Open, where Iga Swiatek handed her a 6-4, 6-3 loss.

Undoubtedly, the World No. 1 would be Coco Gauff’s biggest challenge. Meanwhile, in-form Danielle Collins can also make the cut in the semi-finals if she manages to beat Swiatek.

Final: Aryna Sabalenka

If Aryna Sabalenka manages to reach the final of the 2024 French Open, it would be her third straight major final since last year’s US Open. Interestingly, Serena Williams was the last player to do the same.

Talking about her rivalry with Gauff, they have faced each other seven times, with Sabalenka winning three matches. Their last meeting took place at the 2024 Australian Open, which was won by Sabalenka. However, with a change in surface, nothing can be accurately predicted.

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