Swiatek v Gauff: “I knew we were going to play in a Grand Slam final”

Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff have set a dream final at Roland Garros after both dominated their semifinals on Thursday in Paris.

Swiatek extended her winning streak to 34 matches with a 6-2 6-1 demolition of Daria Kasatkina, while Gauff saw off Martina Trevisan 6-3 6-1.

Gauff, who ended Trevisan’s own winning streak of 10 matches, has not dropped a set this fortnight at Roland Garros. 

Into her first career Grand Slam final, the American teenager is embracing the opportunity to face the dominant world No.1 in the biggest match of her career.

“This final, I mean, I want it for myself, but I think I'm really happy to play her specifically, because I always wanted to play her in a final,” she revealed. 

“I knew it was going to happen eventually just from, even in juniors that it was going to happen, just from the way our games were both projecting. 

“I just didn't think it would happen so soon.”

Next generation clash

Both Gauff and Swiatek are prodigious young talents; Gauff is just 18, while Swiatek turned 21 during this tournament. Neither competed regularly on the WTA Tour until as recently as 2019.

Their clash marks the second-youngest Grand Slam final since 2000, and will be their third career meeting, with Swiatek winning on clay in Rome last year, and in Miami a few months ago, both in straight sets.

The 5 Youngest Major Finals since 2020:

US Open 2021: Raducanu - Fernandez#RolandGarros 2022: Swiatek - Gauff

Wimbledon 2004: Sharapova - S.Williams

Wimbledon 2001: V.Williams - Henin

Australian Open 2008: Sharapova – Ivanovic pic.twitter.com/LHkCMFRziy

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) June 2, 2022

And it will finally happen at Roland Garros, after they came within a point of meeting in the junior final of 2018.

Gauff went on to win that title, aged just 14, before Swiatek collected the Wimbledon girls’ title a few weeks later.

That made Gauff the youngest junior Grand Slam winner since the great Martina Hingis in 1994, and when she began making an impact at senior-level Grand Slams the following year, “Coco-mania” commenced.

“For sure I'm pretty happy that she's doing well, because I think she's also had huge amount of pressure in her life, and being always like the youngest one and the one that is supposed to be the future, it must have been tough,” Swiatek said of Gauff, the youngest Grand Slam finalist since Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon 2004.

“When I see her, I tend to forget that she's 18. She's playing really consistent. You can see her progressing, and I think that's the most important thing.”

While it might not be surprising to see Swiatek at this stage – she was most observers’ pick for a title she also won in 2020 – the same cannot be said for Gauff, who admitted herself she had not expected to advance this far.

She entered Roland Garros ranked 23rd – down from a peak of No.15 – with a lukewarm season win-loss record of 14-10; her best result was a semifinal at the Adelaide International WTA 250.

But a change in mentality has proved profound.

READ MORE: Perspective shift helps propel Gauff into first major semifinal

“I feel like I put myself in a bubble to the point where it was like tennis, tennis, tennis, tennis. And I realise, really talking to my family in general, my grandmother, she's always like, ‘there's more to life than this. You just need to relax when you're out there’,” Gauff explained.

“I always brushed it over, like, You can't relax in these situations. Now I look at it, I'm like, you're right, I can relax in these situations. It's just a tennis match. It's not the end of the world. 

“There's so many people going through so many like uncomfortable situations. Obviously being nervous is natural, but for me to think that winning a tennis match or losing a tennis match is the end of the world, I think just kind of shows what kind of privilege I have.

“Whatever happens, it happens. I think that's probably helped me being in that mindset.”

Swiatek managing expectations

The right mindset has proved crucial for Swiatek, too – but for different reasons.

She has shouldered enormous expectations of favouritism and success, the pressure to maintain her unbeaten run, and the perception that any result short of a title would be considered an opportunity disappointingly blown.

“It was extremely difficult, and it didn't work at the beginning,” said Swiatek of those expectations, both external and internal.

READ MORE: Swiatek equals Henin, sets sights on Serena and Venus

“So for sure when I got past some difficult situations (earlier in the tournament), it got a little bit easier, because I felt like I had already done like the minimum job that I was thinking I could do here.

“I couldn't get rid of the expectations like fully, but I tried to accept that, that they are going to be there and it's going to stress me a little bit more.”

She has nevertheless performed admirably and impressively, dropping only one set en route to her second Roland Garros final in three years. 

Her winning rate at the tournament is a sparkling 91 per cent – she has won 20 of 22 matches and never fallen before the second week in Paris – and on Saturday against Gauff she will target a sixth consecutive tournament title.

The Polish star could also equal Venus Williams’ long-standing record of the best WTA winning streak this century.

LONGEST WTA WINNING STREAKS

“I feel like my game is getting more and more solid. I can really loosen up when I'm getting advantage and when I'm having a break, so that's great. I feel like I'm playing better every match,” Swiatek said.

“It seemed kind of obvious for me that the streak may come to an end soon. So I just wanted to take it really step by step. I didn't have any exact goals on this tournament. 

“Just seeing how my game is developing every match, it's something that's giving me a lot of hope, and I'm just proud of myself.”

Final hurdle

Gauff is aware of Swiatek’s achievements, and admires the fact Swiatek remains unfailingly nice off court, even as she ascended to world No.1.

Gauff faces an opponent at her deadliest in finals: Swiatek has won her past eight without dropping a set, and of the 16 professional-level finals she has contested during her career, she has lost only one.

“I think she does a great job of like changing direction and like hitting angles off the court, and hitting winners, she's always hitting winners,” Gauff observed.

“She's on a streak right now obviously, and I think going in I have nothing to lose and she's definitely the favourite.

“But I think that going in, I'm just going to play free and play my best tennis. I think in a Grand Slam final anything can happen.

“Being in the final, like I'm enjoying it. I think (previously) I wanted it too much, whereas now I definitely want it. Yes, who wouldn't? But also, it's not going to be the end of the world if it doesn't happen for me.”