French Open Bound: Coco Gauff Aims to Overcome Clay Court Jinx

Coco Gauff, world number three, looks to finally claim a clay court title this season at the French Open, after losing to Jasmine Paolini in the Italian Open final and Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid Open final.

World number three Coco Gauff is set to aim for a breakthrough at the French Open, seeking to overcome her recent struggles in clay court finals. Gauff's recent losses include a defeat to Jasmine Paolini in the Italian Open final and a loss to Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid Open final earlier this month. Despite these setbacks, Gauff is poised to rise to number two in the rankings.

“Hopefully I can get to the final in Roland Garros and maybe the 'third time is a charm' thing is a real thing," Gauff told reporters after her second loss in a WTA 1000 final.

Coco Gauff after losing to Jasmine Paolini in Rome final

“Congrats Jasmine on this incredible achievement. You’re an incredible person & player. It’s always tough playing you. Good luck in the doubles final. I hope you guys can take it home.” ❤️ pic.twitter.com/dImIOH5akT

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 17, 2025

“Overall I lost to two quality opponents, Aryna in Madrid and Jasmine here. So yeah, I think I have a lot to improve, a lot that I can work on.”

thank you rome ❤️🥲 i’ll come back stronger pic.twitter.com/lOfLG8zwsR

— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) May 17, 2025

Coco Gauff, the 2023 US Open winner, has struggled with unforced errors during the Italian Open. Despite making over 70 errors in her semifinal win and 55 on Saturday, Gauff remains optimistic. “I made the final with those errors. Made the final maybe not playing my best tennis,” she said, drawing confidence from past experiences.

Gauff's past performances at Roland Garros, including reaching the final in 2022 and being a semifinalist last year, give her hope for a strong run this year. “It just gives me confidence if I can find that good form heading into Roland Garros, I can do well there,” she said, with the French Open main draw starting on May 25.