Coco Gauff Hoping For 'Respectful' Crowd Against World No. 361 At Roland Garros
NewsThursday, 05 June 2025 at 00:15
Coco Gauff will undoubtedly have to deal with an incredible atmosphere during her 2025 Roland Garros semifinal against Frenchwoman Lois Boisson. In a press conference, she discussed her processes for dealing with that.
Gauff reached a third singles semifinal in Paris by recovering from a set behind against the 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys. The 21-year-old was not at her best, but showed trademark resilience to fight through.
Although the WTA world No. 2 is popular worldwide, she will not have many fans inside Court Philippe-Chatrier for the semifinal during her match against Boisson, whose run to that stage has been extraordinary.
The 22-year-old had never won a Grand Slam main draw match before this year's French Open, started the event ranked outside the Top 300, and was only in the main draw due to being given a wild card.
Boisson was better known for a bizarre moment during her 2025 Rouen Open match with Harriet Dart, when the Briton asked the umpire to ask Boisson to wear deodorant because she smelled really bad.
The home favorite at Roland Garros is now a global name after her efforts in Paris. Mirra Andreeva found the support she got from French fans in their semifinal too much to handle, becoming emotional and frustrated.
Gauff is under no illusions about what the atmosphere will be like. However, the American does not blame the fans for supporting Boisson so vociferously, and named two methods she has used to cope in that environment.
"There’s two ways I’ve done it in the past. Either A.) Pretend they’re cheering for you… or B.) Just using it and not letting that get to you. I’ve been in crowds where they’re 99% for me. So I don’t have an issue with it."
"I hope everyone will be respectful. If not, it’s cool. It makes sports exciting. I can’t get irritated that someone is rooting for their hometown hero, because I would do the same. It’s just something I’ll mentally prepare for, expect, and be ready for."
While playing against almost an entire crowd is not easy, Gauff's mentality and willingness to fight when under pressure are among the best in tennis. Win or lose, she is unlikely to be overwhelmed by the crowd.
If Gauff wins, she will face Iga Swiatek or Aryna Sabalenka, who have consistently been the top 2 players during the last couple of years until Swiatek's fall in the rankings before the French Open. She currently sits at No. 5 and will drop to No. 7 if Sabalenka beats her.
Gauff's three previous losses at Roland Garros came against Swiatek, and her overall record against Sabalenka is better. However, she thrashed Swiatek in their last meeting in Madrid last month before losing to Sabalenka in the final.
Boisson and Gauff will be the second of the women's singles semifinals played on Thursday. Therefore, both players will know who they would face before their match begins. Sabalenka has been critical of how the women's matches have been scheduled at this year's Roland Garros.
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