US Coco Gauff reacts as she plays against Poland’s Iga Swiatek during their women’s singles quarter final match on day eleven of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on June 7, 2023. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP)
US teenage star Coco Gauff admitted losing for the seventh time in seven meetings with Iga Swiatek “sucks” after slumping to a French Open quarter-final defeat on Wednesday.
World number one and defending champion Swiatek eased to a 6-4, 6-2 win, taking her record at the tournament to 26 wins and just two losses.
Gauff also lost the 2022 final at Roland Garros to the Pole. Adding to her misery is knowing she hasn’t even managed to take a single set off Swiatek.
“Obviously you lose to someone seven times, you feel crappy,” said Gauff, the world number six.
“It’s not fun at all, but also, every time I play her, I’m not thinking about the previous record. I treat it as a new opportunity every single time.
“If I go in believing that I lost the match before it already happens, then I’m never going to win. But obviously when it’s over, yeah, it does suck.”
Always learning 👏#RolandGarros | @CocoGauff pic.twitter.com/TBoRaI8pkb
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 7, 2023
Gauff, playing in her third successive quarter-final in Paris, certainly didn’t lack intensity on Wednesday.
At one stage in the second set, she chased down a ball as both players sprinted closer to the net.
Gauff unleashed a fierce forehand that hit Swiatek full-on, sending her tumbling to the dirt.
Gauff immediately apologized a gesture acknowledged by the Pole with a stern nod of the head.
“I didn’t try to hit her. I was just trying to hit the ball hard in the middle of the court, and it happened to hit her obviously,” said Gauff.
“I apologized after, but I think she knows that’s part of the game. If you hit a bad ball and you decide to run to the net, there’s always a risk that you get hit.
“But if I was in her position, I wouldn’t be mad at me either because she ran forward. I think when I said sorry, she shook her head, and we had a mutual understanding that that was the only shot I really had.”
Swiatek shrugged off the incident.
“Coco is a nice person, and she wouldn’t mean it. Nothing personal. It happens,” said the top seed.