Who says fierce rivalries only exist in boxing? Look at Coco Gauff, for example, poised to exact vengeance on Iga Swiatek for the 2022 6-1, 6-3 loss. And guess what? Undisputed female boxing champion Claressa Shields is all for it, as she rallies behind Gauff before her 2024 French Open semifinal clash between Gauff and Swiatek on Thursday, June 6 at Court Philippe-Chatrier. 

Interestingly, Gauff and Swiatek will meet on the clay court for the twelfth time in their career. The latter boasts a comfortable lead with 10-1 in the head-to-head tally. The Polish tennis player defeated Markéta Vondroušová via a 6-0, 6-2 in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros on Tuesday. 

Similarly, the American came out triumphant over Ons Jabeur with 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 on the boards to make it to the semifinals, where her arch-rival is standing guard on her way to the final and the trophy. So, seeing this potential clash of the decade, Claressa Shields could not hold back her excitement. She took to social media yesterday to express her support for the American player! 

The undisputed champion wrote, “Let’s go Coco”! Nevertheless, given their history, predicting Gauff’s victory tomorrow is challenging. However, if she brings the same mindset as she did during the 2023 Cincinnati Masters, where she emerged victorious against her Polish opponent, the match could tilt in her favor!

Get the EssentiallySports Daily Newsletter. Stay ahead of the game with daily updates, exclusive stories, expert takes, and the biggest moments from the world's most popular sports.

To Guff’s credit, after her last win, when she was asked about facing someone who has ten wins over her, Guff said, “I’m just going in it with confidence. When I played her in Cincinnati, I didn’t go into the match thinking, ‘Oh, I’ve never beaten her before, never taken a set off of her’”. The American also added that her performance won’t be anything like Anastasia Potapova or Markéta Vondroušová, whom Swiatek defeated. 

So, the question now is, what is her game plan to beat Swiatek when they face off tomorrow?

With support from Claressa Shields, Coco Gauff looks to implement a new game plan

During the same French Open press conference, Guff reflected on her strategy for her clash with Swiatek. The US Open Women’s Singles champion said, “I have to find a better way to play her than the last time I played on clay because I’ve obviously been unsuccessful the last couple of times we played.”

Interestingly, out of their 11 matches, Guff and Swiatek squared off against each other four times on a clay court, with Swiatek sweeping all the wins. Regardless, Guff continued, “She’s definitely a tough opponent for me and for anybody but yeah, I’ll just have to go back and watch and try to find what I have to do. But I’m going to go into the match with a lot of belief that I can”.

With her match approaching quickly, Coco Guff seems to have gained Claressa Shields’ support. However, whether she will be able to live up to Shields’ expectations is yet to be seen. Do you think Guff will break the cycle? Or will the Polish player continue her dominance?