Iga Swiatek is one step away from yet another Italian Open final, but she must overcome Coco Gauff to get there.
The Polish player has been on another spectacular run in recent weeks. She's up to 10 wins in a row and looking to make it 11 against Gauff. We've seen this matchup multiple times so far, and it hasn't generally gone well for the American.
They have met in a Roland Garros final once, and since last year's US Open triumph was Gauff's first Grand Slam trophy, it's clear that it was Swiatek who triumphed in the major final on clay.
However, Gauff has been playing really fine tennis in Rome this year. She took down Qinwen Zheng in her most recent match, but still, there's not much she could have done throughout the tournament to make Swiatek any less of a favorite.
So far, we have seen 10 matches between them, and Swiatek has won 9 of them, including the most recent one at the WTA Finals last year.
The American's own problems from the baseline, mostly an inconsistent forehand, are the main culprits in this matchup. Swiatek is just a very consistent hitter, so she can find holes in Gauff's defense.
Looking at the players who gave Swiatek problems in the past, their profiles are totally different from Gauff's. It's the likes of Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka, just players who hit really consistently and hard from the baseline.
| Iga Swiatek | Coco Gauff | |
| 9 | H2H | 1 |
| 1 | Rank | 3 |
| 22 | Age | 20 |
| 36-4 | 2024 W/L | 25-7 |
| 317-70 | Career W/L | 200-89 |
The American is still not that devastating force in rallies, which she needs to be to beat Swiatek. Her only win came last year in Cincinnati, at a time when everything clicked for her, so beating the world no. 1 would be a minor surprise.
Prediction: Iga Swiatek to win in two sets.