Coco Gauff didn't have as good of a run at Roland Garros this year, losing in the quarter-final of the event and it's probably her realistic reach for now.
Gauff played a really solid match against Iga Swiatek, pushing her the most she did in all of their matches so far, but ultimately Swiatek once again proved better. It was a disappointing end to her Roland Garros experience but probably a realistic one as she still has flaws in her game that she needs to take care of.
The run in Paris saw her work together with Patrick Mouratoglou again, though he won't be joining her team as her coach. She asked him for help during Roland Garros and he obliged as she has been part of his academy since she was ten.
The main issue for Gauff is her forehand. It's been like that for a while. Former player Patrick McEnroe tackled the question on the latest episode of the Holding Court with Patrick McEnroe podcast, explaining that she needs to add more to her game if she wants to get further and challenge more opponents on the WTA Tour.
Coco, because of this shakiness on her forehand wing, she kinda went to this play where she was just being super consistent, playing with a lot of spin. It was good enough to get to the quarters and it was good enough to stay in the match for a while in the first set. But she had no real ability to hit big on the forehand. And Swiatek, she can hurt you off both wings.
The difference in that match truly came down to the Polish player being able to produce a winner when she needed it, something Gauff wasn't able to do. The competitive nature is there but the forehand needs to improve if she wants to further in events. She's aware of it and has plans to work on it in the off-season.
Coco is a great competitor, but she is gonna have to shore up the forehand side to where she can play with safety and margin, but she can also attack. Right now, she’s kinda lost between what she wants to do.
She doesn’t feel like she can really go for the shots consistently, cause she makes too many mistakes. And then, when she does spin it, it’s a decent ball, but against a quality player, it’s just not enough. And Swiatek’s just too solid and moves too well. She’s never had trouble with Coco.
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