Coco Gauff is set to face an unrecognized challenge at Roland Garros. It has been just hours since the young American served Diana Yastremska with a straight-set defeat in the third round. While she appears to be on track with her dominant form this time, Elisabetta Cocciaretto waits to challenge her in the next round. Although the 20-year-old has defeated her two times already, she’s still blank-headed about her clay court approach.

Coco Gauff recently indulged in a conversation with the press about her run at the Roland Garros. Among several candid questions, a journalist asked her about the analysis she carries of her upcoming match rival. Gauff remembered her last showdown against Cocciaretto in Dubai. She said, “I played her in Dubai as you said and that was a tough match I believe.”

Although she has a knack for her rival’s previous form, the US Open champion acknowledged that she’s clueless about her grip on the red dirt. “I haven’t maybe watched a lot of her matches on Clay so I would probably have to go back and see what adjustments I need to make with that game,” she added.

It has been nearly three months since Coco Gauff faced Elisabetta Cocciaretto at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Although the 20-year-old didn’t let her rival breathe enough in the last showdown, the fact that she remains concerned about each of her clay court rivals is justified.

Gauff, who has been struggling with her serves lately, now looks forward to defending her position against a lesser-known rival. Although the odds lie in the US Open champion’s favor, the showdown remains a mysterious one.

Coco Gauff acknowledges the stubborn nature of her upcoming match rival

Besides mentioning the fact that she hasn’t been a keen spectator of Elisabetta Cocciaretto’s clay court presence, Coco Gauff also acknowledged the aspects that could be a hindrance. In the same press conference where she talked about her upcoming match stats, the 20-year-old also mentioned that her rival has some qualities that could make it hard for her to be dominant.

“I know she’s a fighter she fights all the time and no matter what the score is she’s not giving up to the last point so I know I have to go in there with a strong mentality,” Gauff said, agreeing to the fact that her Italian rival is quite stubborn when it comes to giving out points easily.

It has been nearly two years since Coco Gauff’s last step to attain French Open glory was cut out by Iga Swiatek. As she now looks forward to setting things right this time, it is evident that she will have to go through several notable challenges on the journey.