Justifying her World No. 3 ranking, Coco Gauff has now reached the semifinal round of the Grand Slam event in Paris. With yet another major title now two wins away, arguably the biggest challenge on clay now awaits the American tennis prodigy. In the semis of the French Open, Gauff will be up against the ‘Queen of Clay,’ Iga Swiatek, who has defeated her on ten occasions in the past. With chances that her match will likely be lopsided, the 20-year-old player was recently hyped up by a legendary tennis analyst.

The renowned ESPN analyst, Dick Vitale, recently took to social media to give a huge shout out to the reigning US Open champion ahead of her blockbuster clash against the 3-time French Open champion. Even though it will be a ‘tough challenge’ on the Parisian clay, Vitale asserted that Gauff is ‘ready’ for her semifinal match. “LET’S GO COCO – @cocogauff @bgtennisnation YES a tough challenge in beating ⁦ @iga_swiatek on Clay but COCO IS READY ! via @ESPN App,” he tweeted.

Joining Vitale in the celebratory chorus, Brad Gilbert, Gauff’s coach, took to the comments section with a string of emojis-😎🙏👌👍💪- that spoke volumes. The cool shades signaled his relaxed confidence in his player’s abilities, while the raised hands in prayer suggested a touch of well-deserved pride. The “OK” hand could be interpreted as an endorsement of Vitale’s praise, and the thumbs up undoubtedly expressed his approval of Gauff’s performance.

Swiatek holds a significant edge in her head-to-head record with Gauff, winning 10 of their 11 meetings, all in straight sets. However, their lone encounter in 2023 offered a glimpse of a potential shift. “I was telling myself, ‘You’re a warrior and you can do this,”‘ Gauff told the Tennis Channel after the win. “I was just saying, ‘I’m Coco Gauff and I can do it.'”

Marketa Vondrousova left Court Philippe-Chatrier feeling like she’d been swept up in a Swiatek hurricane in the QFs. The scoreline (6-0, 6-2) painted a clear picture of Iga Swiatek’s dominance. Vondrousova, at least, managed to grab a couple of games, unlike Swiatek’s previous opponent, Anastasia Potapova, who was blanked 6-0, 6-0. “Yeah, it’s very tough. I feel like on the court you have nothing to offer. She’s just too strong here,” Vondrousouva acknowledged what it is like being on the wrong end of a Swiatek masterclass. She then summarized it: “I feel like you just go crazy every point.” Can Coco Gauff turn the tide?

Not just the legendary tennis analyst and her coach, but Gauff herself is oozing confidence ahead of her semifinal encounter against her Polish colleague. Despite massively trailing behind in her H2H record against Swiatek, the current number 3 player opened up about how “all the pressure” is on her upcoming opponent.

“I’m just going to go in and just try to win”– Coco Gauff looks all geared up for her semifinal clash against Iga Swiatek

In a press conference at the French Open, Gauff was asked if she was feeling a little bit ‘stressed’ given that she is currently trailing 1–10 behind in her H2H record against the Pole. Even though she knows  Swiatek is a force to be reckoned with on clay, the American asserted that she will be going in with confidence, as she aims to emulate her Cincinnati Masters performance against Swiatek. While recounting her 2023 Cincinnati Masters semifinal win against the Pole, Gauff said, “I think for me I’m just going in with it confidence and I mean when I played her in Cincinnati.”

While saying that she knows that the likes of Markéta Vondroušová and Anastasia Potapova have tasted thumping defeats at the hands of the ‘Queen of the Clay,’ Gauff added, “Doesn’t mean anything that I’m going to maybe I could lose with the same score. But I’m just going to go in and just try to win and I have nothing to lose and all the pressure is on her, so yeah.”

What do you think of the American tennis star looking all geared up for her semifinal clash against her Polish opponent? Let us know in the comments section.