10sBalls.com • TennisBalls.com
Home / Tennis News / Coco Gauff, 18, Surges Into Maiden Major Final at Roland Garros

Coco Gauff, 18, Surges Into Maiden Major Final at Roland Garros

18-year-old Coco Gauff beat Martina Trevisan in Paris becoming the youngest woman Grand Slam finalist since a 17-year-old Maria Sharapova won the 2004 Wimbledon. (Photo by Mine Kasapoglu/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Pressure swirled around maiden major semifinalists like a cloud of red dust.

A composed Coco Gauff stopped sound with flurry.

The 18-year-old Gauff unleashed a baseline barrage storming through nine of the last 10 games muting Martina Trevisan 6-3, 6-1 to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros.

“Just staying calm really that’s been my motto this week staying in the moment and being present and just enjoying it while it lasts,” Gauff told Tennis Channel’s Jon Wertheim afterward.

Playing with poise and purpose, Gauff covered the court masterfully, mixed her high-bouncing heavy topspin forehand with finishing flat backhand strikes. Gauff snapped Trevisan’s 10-match winning streak, avenged her 2020 loss to the tough Italian and gave herself the ultimate graduation gift.

A little more than a week after Gauff, clad in cap and gown, leaped in front of the Eiffel Tower in a photo to celebrate high school graduation, she was jumping for joy in a coming of age triumph on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The Delray Beach-born baseliner is the youngest woman to reach the French Open final since Kim Clijsters in 2001,  the youngest woman major finalist since Maria Sharapova stunned Serena Williams to take the 2004 Wimbledon championship and the youngest American woman to contest a Grand Slam singles final since a 17-year-old Serena knocked off world No. 1 Martina Hingis in the 1999 US Open final.

Passion, patience and focus were keys for Gauff, who has not surrendered a set reaching the singles final and is into the doubles semifinals partnering compatriot Jessica Pegula.

The 18th-seeded Gauff will take on world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in Saturday’s final.

The top-seeded Swiatek extended her remarkable run to 34 consecutive matches—the second-longest WTA winning streak of this century behind Venus Williams’ 35 straight wins—dismissing Daria Kasatkina 6-2, 6-1 in a 64-minute thrashing in today’s first semifinal.

The 21-year-old Swiatek has won both prior meetings with Gauff, including the 2021 Rome semifinal, in straight sets. The 18-year-old Gauff has the recognition and reaction skills of a much more experienced player.



Swooping forward for a short ball, Gauff hammered a forehand pass that froze Trevisan breaking for 5-1.

A focused Gauff stepped up to the line A lifetime of dedication led Gauff to 88 minutes of determination and her first Grand Slam final.