Matches conclude the crowd’s roar fades, and pundits offer their insights. Yet, the lingering regret of defeat often remains long after the final ball is played, not just for the players but for their coaches alike. For Coco Gauff’s coach, Brad Gilbert, this sentiment is all too familiar. Despite witnessing a sensational season, the sting of Gauff’s semi-final loss at the Roland Garros still resonates deeply.
The American tennis star faced her fiercest rival, Iga Swiatek, in the semifinals of the tournament. While the match was expected to be a tightly-knit contest given the intensity of the situation, the Pole sensation seemed to not give Gauff any chance and instead handed her a baffling defeat in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.
This was the 11th defeat that Coco Gauff faced in the 12 matches that she played against Swiatek. While many would have expected the player and her team to have moved on, the latest statements of the American star’s coach speak otherwise.
Brad Gilbert engaged in an exclusive interview with ESPN amid the ongoing grass-court grand slam at Wimbledon. He opined his views on Gauff’s defeat at the French Open and claimed that Naomi Osaka could have helped the American win the tournament. “Let me tell you if Naomi wins that match point against Iga at Roland Garros, Coco was winning that tournament.” For the uninitiated, Osaka and Swiatek faced each other in a fierce encounter in the second round of the tournament.
While Iga Swiatek struggled to win the first set 7(7)-6(1), she was handed a scathing defeat in the second set 6-1 by Osaka. With the match tied at 1-1, the third set could have gone either way. Ultimately, Naomi failed to convert her streak in the third set and faced a defeat 7-5 to lose the match. The intensity of the match was such that even Swiatek admitted the challenges. “For sure this match was more intense than I expected,” the Pole had remarked.
Now, Gilbert believes that had the match gone in Osaka’s favor, Coco Gauff could have clinched the title in the singles category as well.
Brad Gilbert’s confidence can be understood from the head-to-head tally as well. Osaka’s victory could have made her face Gauff in the semi-finals, and the American has a win ratio of 50% against her Japanese counterpart. Both players have met 4 times on the WTA tour, with each winning two of them. On the contrary, Gauff’s win ratio against Swiatek is just 8.3%. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff is eyeing more clean finishes at Wimbledon.
‘Missed some shots..’ Coco Gauff is critical of her own gameplay in London
The World No. 2 has advanced to the third round of the grass-court Grand Slam in London. She defeated her Romanian opponent, Anca Todoni, in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1. However, she seemed to be critical of her own gameplay and expressed her desire to perform better.
Speaking at the post-match interview, the 2023 US Open winner said, “I do think I can be too critical because 2-1 is clean.” Continuing further, she revealed that she is aiming to finish games more cleanly. “I think it’s just like moments, maybe I like missed some shots that I normally would make. Also that’s tennis, you’re always going to miss some shots that you normally would make. I am trying to focus on straight sets and winning cleaner.”
As the tournament progresses, it will be interesting to see if Coco Gauff can outshine her past performances and win her first grand slam title on the green surface.