Coco Gauff will be desperate to defend her Roland Garros title this year, and should feel really confident that it is possible.
After all, whilst the men’s draw already feels like a foregone conclusion with Jannik Sinner present, the women’s side could not be more open.
Including the 22-year-old defending champion, there is Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina, to name just a handful, all of whom will fancy their chances of success.
In an effort to give herself the best possible preparation for the French Open, Coco Gauff actually selected one of this elite group to play with her ahead of her first round.
And, not only did she play Rybakina in a practice set, but she beat her as well.
Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina play a practice set on Philippe Chatrier
Walking onto Philippe Chatrier, the clay could not have looked cleaner as they took to the court.
And, the two practised groundstrokes for some time before moving on to a more competitive environment.
Do you think Coco Gauff will win a Grand Slam title this year?
Fans packed into the arena to catch a glimpse of this elite-level practice session, and those keeping count would have realised that Gauff actually won their set by a 6-3 margin.
That being said, it’s worth noting that Rybakina did not seem to be moving as dynamically as she likely would in a real match.
Gauff will be seeking to achieve a 40-year Roland Garros feat at this year’s event.
Coco Gauff’s head-to-head record against Elena Rybakina
If Gauff and Rybakina were to meet at this year’s Roland Garros, it would have to be in the final, given they are on opposite sides of the draw.
And, it would mark just their second career match against one another, having only ever played once before.
Can anyone realistically stop Aryna Sabalenka from going ‘all the way’ at Roland Garros this year? 🏆
That match came in 2022, with the American emerging victorious in that Canadian Open clash, winning a third-set tiebreak.
They were also due to play in 2023, but Gauff was instead handed a walkover due to Rybakina’s withdrawal in Dubai.
