"Coco Gauff is really mature for her age" - Ons Jabeur ready to 'bother' American in French Open QF despite high respect for her
Ons Jabeur heaped praise on Coco Gauff ahead of their French Open quarterfinal clash. The Tunisian called the 20-year-old an "amazing person" and said that she was expecting a difficult match.
Both players have looked in good touch so far at the French Open, with Gauff yet to drop a set en route to reaching the quarterfinals for the fourth year in a row. Jabeur entered the tournament with only six wins under her belt from 15 matches in 2024. However, the Tunisian has produced some fine performances in Paris to reach her second straight quarterfinal at the French Open.
Jabeur spoke to the press following her fourth-round win over Clara Tauson and was asked what she thought about Coco Gauff.
The World No. 9 hailed the American's game and said that she was very mature for her young age of 20. While Jabeur said that the match was going to be difficult, she also said that she could bother Gauff with her game.
"I love how Coco plays and I love how Coco talks, you know, in general. I think she is really mature for her age and she is really an amazing person as well. It's gonna be definitely a difficult match. She is such a fighter on the court. I hope I can play good and I can play my game because I know I can bother her as well, but it's gonna be definitely a great fight between us," Jabeur said. (5:30)
Whoever out of the two wins the match, will face either World No. 1 Iga Swiatek or fifth seed Marketa Vondrousova in the French Open semifinals.
Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur will lock horns for the seventh time
Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur will face one another for the seventh time when they lock horns in the quarterfinals of the French Open.
The first encounter between the two came in the quarterfinals of the Top Seed Open in 2020. Jabeur won the first set 6-4 but Gauff bounced back to register a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory and reach the semifinals, where she lost to eventual champion Jennifer Brady. The second encounter between the two that year came at the Italian Open, with the American triumphing 6-4, 6-3.
Jabeur's first win over Gauff came in the quarterfinals of the Credit One Open in 2021, as she won 6-3, 6-3. That year, the American beat her 6-3, 6-1 in the fourth round of the French Open to reach her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal.
The Tunisian's second win over Coco Gauff came in the semifinals of the 2022 bett1open in Berlin, triumphing 7-6(4), 6-2. Their most recent encounter came in the round-robin of the 2023 WTA Finals in Cancun, with the American trouncing Jabeur 6-0, 6-1.