"More lopsided than Serena Williams-Maria Sharapova" - Journalist slams media for sugarcoating Iga Swiatek-Coco Gauff rivalry despite Pole's 11-1 lead
Iga Swiatek got the better of Coco Gauff during their 2024 French Open semifinals. This was the Pole's 11th win over Gauff in 12 matches. Post-match, Swiatek was asked about the progress Gauff is making, and journalist Ben Rothenberg was displeased with the 'sugarcoating' this rivalry is receiving from the media.
Swiatek faced Gauff for the 12th time in their careers on Thursday, June 6. It was also the fifth time they were meeting on clay. The Pole has dominated the rivalry and extended her lead to 11-1 on all surfaces and 5-0 on clay by defeating the American 6-2, 6-4.
After the match, Swiatek was asked about the progress 20-year-old Gauff has been making. The World No. 1 was all praise for her opponent. She said that she expects many more intense battles against the American in the future.
However, Rothenberg was disappointed with the question. He believes the tennis media is understating the difference in quality in both the players which is showing in their head-to-head record.
"Wilander asking Swiatek what progress Gauff is making when Gauff is 1-11 against her shows how tennis media is sugarcoating this. All 11 wins for Swiatek were in straights, and only one tiebreak in those 22 sets, even. This is considerably more lopsided than Serena-Sharapova," Rothenberg wrote on X.
Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova's rivalry was similarly lopsided. The pair faced each other 22 times in their careers and the American won 20 of those matches. Williams was 8-1 up against Sharapova in Grand Slams while Swiatek is now 3-0 up against Gauff in Majors with all of those matches played on the Parisian clay.
Iga Swiatek will face Jasmine Paolini in the French Open 2024 final
In the first semifinal of the 2024 French Open, Iga Swiatek defeated Coco Gauff while in the other semifinal, Jasmine Paolini got the better of 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 6-1.
Swiatek and Paolini have faced each other twice before and the Pole has won both matches. They last played against each other at the US Open in 2022. The World No. 1 won the match 6-3, 6-0.
Swiatek will be the favorite to win the final. She is chasing a third consecutive French Open title, a feat that was previously achieved on the WTA by Justine Henin from 2005 to 2007.
Moreover, with the Madrid Open and the Italian Open titles already in the bag, Iga Swiatek will be hoping to achieve the coveted clay treble that was last achieved by only one woman -- Serena Williams in 2013.