Coco Gauff's mother Candi, coach Brad Gilbert and team share proud photo as American reaches second French Open SF of her career
Coco Gauff's mother Candi, her coach Brad Gilbert and the rest of her coaching team shared in the joy as the American booked her place in the second French Open semifinal of her career. Having reached the semifinals of the 2024 Australian Open, Gauff displayed her impressive consistency across surfaces as she took a stride forward in the quest for her second Grand Slam title.
Taking on eighth seed Ons Jabeur in the quarterfinals, the World No. 3 battled back from a set down to claim a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory after a one-hour and 57-minute battle.
The American's triumph allowed her to join an elite group, comprising Martina Hingis, Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin, Ana Ivanovic, Maria Sharapova and Iga Swiatek, as one of six under-21 players to reach multiple semifinals at the claycourt Major this century.
Coco Gauff's coaching team celebrated her remarkable triumph with a joyous group photo. Her coach Brad Gilbert took to social media and shared a glimpse of himself posing alongside her mother Candi and the rest of the team, expressing delight over her success.
"The team 👍👌😎👍👊💪," he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Although Gauff's team enthusiastically cheered her on during the encounter, the 20-year-old encountered a difficult crowd that largely supported Ons Jabeur.
Despite the hostile atmosphere, the World No. 3 expressed her gratitude to the crowd for creating a thrilling environment, disclosing that she had "a lot of fun" during the match.
"Yeah, she's (Jabeur) a tough opponent. She's well-loved on tour. I could tell by the crowd today, you guys wanted her to win, but honestly when she's playing her I cheer for her," Coco Gauff said in her on-court interview.
"Thank you for making it a good atmosphere. The people made it really fun for me. I like playing in environments like this. Even though you guys were for Ons, I had a lot of fun. Even when I lost the first set and they were chanting.. When I was in the bathroom I was just like 'this is really fun, win or lose'," she added.
Up next, Coco Gauff will face a formidable test against top seed and two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek as she hunts for a place in the final of the claycourt Major.
"Coco Gauff is not easy" - Iga Swiatek ahead of French Open SF clash against American
Iga Swiatek extended her dominance at the 2024 French Open with a clinical 6-0, 6-2 win over fifth seed Marketa Vondrousova, setting up a blockbuster semifinal showdown against Coco Gauff.
Looking ahead to the highly anticipated encounter, the World No. 1 acknowledged Gauff as a tough opponent, especially at the claycourt Major.
"Honestly as the same as before any other match. You don't want to change your routines, you know, it's good to just keep going and not think about this match as something huge but just another match," Swiatek said in her on-court interview.
"Not to put too much baggage on your shoulders, but I guess Coco is not easy. So she really likes playing on clay and especially here, I think so. I'll just focus on myself and I'll prepare tactically and we'll see," she added.
Swiatek dominates her rivalry against Coco Gauff, triumphing in 10 of their 11 meetings on tour. Moreover, the Pole has bested Gauff in back-to-back editions of the French Open, beating the American in the 2022 final and the quarterfinals last year.