Swiatek's 'crisis,' by Gauff: "Someone who has won four times in Paris must be respected"

Carlos Navarro | 12 May 2025 | 19.17

Coco Gauff during her victory over Raducanu. Source: Getty

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Coco Gauff advances undaunted at the Foro Italico, where she increasingly feels at home. Today, she dismissed the threat of Emma Raducanu with ease, knowing how to suffer, adapting to the windy conditions posed by the Briton and adding another triumph in the WTA Roma 2025. The American's candidacy for Roland Garros grows stronger day by day, and despite still being in Italian lands, she is already fielding questions in press conferences about some of her potential major rivals at the year's second Slam... including, of course, Iga Swiatek. What does Gauff have to say about her current form?

- A great performance and convincing victory over Raducanu

"I am very happy with how I played today. Overall, I think I delivered a great performance, I was the one in control and dictating play for most of the match. My forehand was the reason I won the match; I feel that on this surface, I can do many things with it. I am very pleased with how it's developing. I felt better than in previous matches; these courts still feel very slow compared to Madrid, but I'm adapting with each passing match."

- Dealing with a windy day like today

"It was very windy, especially in the second set. Undoubtedly, it played a significant role in the match. Coming from Florida, I am very accustomed to such conditions. Sometimes you have to learn to go with the wind, knowing that you'll always have to take an extra step in terms of mobility. There will be many points you won't win gracefully; many were like that in the second set, but it's part of playing tennis in the wind, it's not always pretty."

- Her favorite conditions on clay and a reflection on the transition between Indian Wells/Miami and Madrid/Rome

"I usually enjoy playing here a lot. After spending so much time in Madrid, here everything feels heavier. I like it. I enjoy the heat; it's hotter than in Madrid. Perhaps a little less wind would help, although today it played in my favor. This is the first year I truly feel the differences between Rome and Madrid, as I always exited early in Madrid, so I had more time to adjust.

I think it's tougher here because, even though it's the same ball and the same surface, everything is a bit heavier. The thing is, I'm from Florida; these are somewhat like my baseline conditions, so I don't need much time to adapt. Going from Florida to Indian Wells is trickier due to the air lightness, the ball bounces a bit more there. From Indian Wells to Miami, it's not very hard for me as I'm used to playing in Florida. Here, being my first year with this slightly quicker transition, it's a bit more challenging."

- How the 'temperature' in the locker room has changed seeing Swiatek vulnerable on clay and particularly witnessing how she could defeat her in Madrid

"When you see someone who has won Roland Garros many times not having the best results, clearly some things change. Women's tennis is best-of-three sets, even in Grand Slams; this definitely gives players a lot of confidence when facing her. On the other hand, you must respect that she has won in Paris four times. I always think that if someone has won a tournament so many times, regardless of their current form, they can always find a way to win again. If I were to face her in Paris, I wouldn’t consider the results of Madrid at all, I wouldn't even think about it; I'd step onto the court thinking she will play her best tennis."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La "crisis" de Swiatek, por Gauff: "Hay que respetar a alguien que ha ganado cuatro veces en París"