Will Coco Gauff win her next Grand Slam in 2025?
Coco Gauff won her maiden Major title at the US Open 2023 by staging a stunning comeback to upstage Aryna Sabalenka. She was expected to achieve this feat ever since she burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old prodigy who ousted Venus Williams on her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon 2019.
Heading into 2024, expectations were high for the young American following her triumph at the US Open. She came quite close to reaching another Grand Slam in the first half of the season. However, she was shown the door in the semifinals by eventual champions Sabalenka at the Australian Open, and by Iga Swiatek at the French Open.
Gauff's form took a hit after that, and her results, while decent, were not ones expected from a player of her caliber. She was eliminated by Emma Navarro in the fourth round of Wimbledon, and her compatriot was responsible for her downfall at the US Open as well, where her title defense concluded in the fourth round.
Gauff's results the entire summer preceding the US Open were underwhelming, and she also failed to defend her title at the Cincinnati Open, a WTA 1000 event. Having won only one title at the WTA 250 level nine months into the season, it would've been safe to say that she was going through the dreaded sophomore slump.
However, Gauff realized the same and didn't wait until the end of the season to switch things up. She parted ways with her coach Brad Gilbert, who led her to her first Major title last year and brought on board Matt Daly. Their very first tournament together was the China Open, which she won to claim her second title at the WTA 1000 level.
Gauff continued her good run of form at the Wuhan Open, where she narrowly lost to Sabalenka in the semifinals. She then headed to Riyadh for the WTA Finals, and secured her second win over Swiatek in 13 tries during the group stage, and ensured her place in the last four with the win.
The American finally beat Sabalenka for the first time this year in the semifinals and rallied from a set down to beat Zheng Qinwen in the summit clash to win the year-end championships for the first time. It looked like this season would be a washout but she turned things around to wrap up the year on a high.
Considering how Gauff ended the season, she herself will have more faith in her odds of winning her second Major title in 2025. If she maintains her current form, then she will be the favorite to capture one as well without a doubt.
The French Open will be Coco Gauff's best bet to add to her Grand Slam tally
While Coco Gauff had her breakthrough at Wimbledon, making the fourth round on her debut in 2019, half a decade later, she's yet to better that result. While she's certainly capable, her winning her next Major title at the All England Club in 2025 would be a little surprising.
Gauff is a pretty solid player on hardcourts, having already won the US Open and reaching the Australian Open semifinals this year. She has the home-court advantage at one and could ride the wave of support to another Grand Slam crown.
The Australian Open is also within Gauff's grasp as evident by her performance in Melbourne this year. However, going by her track record, the clay courts in Paris offer her the best shot at Grand Slam glory. She has an 80 percent winning record at the venue, her best across all four Majors, and she has made the quarterfinals or better at the French Open since 2021.
Gauff was the runner-up in 2022, a quarterfinalist in 2023, and a semifinalist this year. Her nemesis Swiatek was responsible for all three defeats. However, no woman has won four consecutive titles at the French Open since Suzanne Lenglen did it over a century ago.
While Swiatek certainly has what it takes to do so, it could be Gauff's time to shine in Paris next year. She held her nerve to beat the Pole en route to the WTA Finals title, and if she continues to make inroads in this rivalry, then there is no reason for her to not one-up her biggest adversary on her own turf.
Gauff is too talented to remain a one Slam wonder. She has time on her side, along with a desire to improve and incredible work ethic. It isn't a matter of if, but when she will win her next Major, and there are promising signs that it could be as soon as next year.