"I only remember when Coco Gauff won Roland Garros and I lost in the semifinal" - Iga Swiatek on her and American's journey from juniors to pro level
Iga Swiatek has reflected on her and Coco Gauff's journey from the junior circuit to the WTA Tour. The Pole highlighted the shared good fortune she and Gauff have experienced in navigating the challenging transition.
Swiatek continued her impressive run at the 2024 Italian Open with a commanding 6-1, 6-3 victory over Madison Keys in the quarterfinals. The Pole delivered a clinical performance, breaking Keys' serve four times while fending off all 10 break points in the 76-minute encounter.
With her win, the World No. 1 set up a blockbuster semifinal clash with third seed Coco Gauff. Gauff triumphed over Zheng Qinwen 7-6(4), 6-1 to book her place in the last four of the WTA 1000 event.
Following her victory, Iga Swiatek was asked for her thoughts on the prospect of competing against the players in her junior class for years to come, in light of Gauff's recent comments on the same.
The 22-year-old expressed that it was a "fun" aspect of the sport, as it created more interesting narratives behind rivalries. She also expressed satisfaction with being the one to attain the World No. 1 ranking among her junior competitors.
"I think it's fun. I think that's how we create kind of a bigger story sometimes behind these matches. So I like it. It's a challenge. It's interesting I think for the fans, as well," Iga Swiatek said in her post-match press conference.
"Yeah, for sure there are plenty of players that I played against in juniors. For sure, I'm happy that I'm the one that got to the top of the rankings," she added.
Swiatek disclosed that while she hadn't competed against Gauff in juniors, she had a memory of the American winning the girls' singles title at the 2018 French Open while she was knocked out in the semifinals.
Highlighting the "tricky" reality of life, the Pole emphasized the impact of decisions made at a young age on a player's trajectory. She conveyed gratitude for her good fortune in surrounding herself with the right people, suggesting that the World No. 3 likely felt the same.
"Yeah, but I still remember. I haven't played Coco in juniors. I only kind of remember her when she won Roland Garros and I lost in the semifinal against Caty McNally. You know these names," Iga Swiatek said.
"Life is pretty tricky. One decision you make when you're 17 can kind of create totally different path. I'm just fortunate that I made good decisions and I had good people around me so I can be here. Coco, I guess she feels pretty similar," she added.
Coco Gauff expressed similar sentiments to Iga Swiatek: "It's cool to see your peers move up, it's also kind of existential in a way"
Following her win over Paula Badosa in the fourth round of the Italian Open, Coco Gauff expressed a similar sentiment to Iga Swiatek, stating that it was "cool" to see her peers move up alongside her.
However, the American also highlighted the "existential" aspect of realizing that the competition would likely remain unchanged for the next decade.
"Yeah, honestly it's cool to see your peers move up. It's also kind of existential in a way that competition is literally going to be the same for probably the next 10 years. It's going to be the same crew of people, God willing everybody does well," she said in her post-match press conference.
Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek's clash in the semifinals of the WTA 1000 event will mark their 11th meeting on tour. Swiatek enjoys a dominant 9-1 lead in their head-to-head record, securing a 6-0, 7-5 victory in their most recent encounter at the 2023 WTA Finals.