“She’s Licking Her Lips”: Former No. 4 Projects Tectonic Shift in Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek’s Rivalry
Tennis fans are now focusing on Wimbledon, the upcoming major Grand Slam event of the year, as the French Open draws to a close.There’s a question that many tennis fans have when players like Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and many more prepare for the oldest tennis tournament. Will Swiatek, the self-proclaimed “Queen of Clay,” continue to rule the grass courts as well? Or will Gauff, the recent winner of the U.S. Open, take the top spot? Views may vary. However, Greg Rusedski, a former top-4 player, believes that in order for Coco Gauff to win Wimbledon this year, she must bring her “‘A’ game.”
Greg Rusedski was a guest on the most recent episode of the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast, which debuted on June 13. The episode covered the French Open and the players that excelled on red clay this year. Mitch Michals questioned the 50-year-old former player, “Do you see Iga’s rule going beyond Roland Garros?” when the topic turned to the show’s host, Iga Swiatek. Do you believe she will compete or keep winning one of these or the other majors?
In response, Rusedski stated, “I believe that she has won four French Opens and one U.S. Open. Let’s be honest, for Coco, and against Iga on the grass. Iga is licking her lips, I suppose. She believes that now is the right moment for her to confront this rivalry.In keeping with his remarks, he made a suggestion that Coco Gauff’s triumph at Wimbledon in 2019 over Venus Williams is evidence of her tenacity on the court. But while Gauff leads Williams 2-0, he hasn’t had the same kind of success against Iga Swiatek.
Gauff has only triumphed once in her twelve on-court encounters with the Pole. The 20-year-old player has never defeated Swiatek in a match, especially on clay. This season offered a glimpse of that as well. Whether it was in the French Open or the Italian Open, Swiatek’s skill on the court has remained versus Gauff. With the exception of the Cincinnati Masters in 2023, where Gauff won their first meeting.
But Rusedski says there’s no undervaluing Coco Gauff’s abilities versus Swiatek, particularly on the grass court. Despite drawing comparisons between Swiatek and legendary athletes like Rafael Nadal, he ended by expressing his hope that Swiatek will be able to bring her “A” game to Wimbledon this year.Like him, Iga Swiatek recently shared her opinions about Coco Gauff’s performance as of late on the court.
Coco Gauff’s sad quest for a second grand slam ended as she lost to Iga Swiatek 6-2, 6-2 in the French Open semifinal this year. Swiatek did, however, remember to give her opponent credit for putting up a fierce battle against her, much like a modest victor. According to the 23-year-old tennis pro, she is making significant progress.
“You can see from her results, you know last year’s US Open for certainly demonstrated that she’s tough,” the 22-time singles champion continued. At this age, I believe it’s pretty evident that she will just continue to develop.Iga Swiatek further stated that since Gauff is always raising her game, competing against her in the future will lead to more “tough” bouts. Declaring her one of the greatest “constant players” of all time, the French Open champion expressed her desire to face her again.
