As she embarks on the claycourt season, world number three Coco Gauff exudes optimism, eyeing her first French Open triumph while prioritizing an end to her trophy drought on the surface in the upcoming weeks.
Gauff’s last claycourt title came at the Emilia-Romagna Open in 2021, preceding her appearance in the Roland Garros final against Iga Swiatek. Now, the 20-year-old is eager to break her barren run on clay, starting with the Stuttgart Open this week, followed by tournaments in Madrid and Rome leading up to the second Grand Slam of the year.
Speaking to reporters ahead of her match against fellow American Sachia Vickery, Gauff expressed her optimistic outlook for the clay season while emphasizing her immediate focus on upcoming tournaments rather than the French Open. She aims to secure a recent clay title and is determined to perform well in Stuttgart, Madrid, or Rome.
In her pursuit of claycourt success, Gauff has enlisted former coach Jean-Cristophe Faurel to her team alongside Brad Gilbert, seeking to bolster her chances of claiming a second Grand Slam crown. Faurel, who coached Gauff during her junior years and aided in her 2018 Roland Garros junior title win, brings a deep understanding of her game and history to the team.
Excited about Faurel’s return to her coaching team, Gauff looks forward to leveraging his familiarity with her game and character as she navigates the challenges of the claycourt season. With the French Open main draw set to commence on May 26, Gauff aims to build on her quarter-final appearance from last year and make a strong statement on the red clay of Roland Garros.
