Olivia Gadecki (Australia) vs. Coco Gauff (USA)

Where to Watch: MEGOGO

American trailblazer Coco Gauff, enjoying an unexpectedly strong clay season, is now regarded as the third favorite at Roland Garros, behind Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Świątek. In Paris, Gauff begins her quest for the long-awaited title (she previously won Roland Garros last year in doubles alongside Kateryna Siniakova and reached the singles final in 2022) against 23-year-old Australian Olivia Gadecki. Gadecki is a competitive opponent mainly in doubles or mixed doubles, but in singles, she’s yet to advance beyond the first round at any Grand Slam outside her home turf in Australia.

Olivia Gadecki’s Journey So Far

The Australian turned pro at 17 in 2019 and has already earned her first million dollars in prize money. However, the bulk of her success—and probably earnings—come from doubles and mixed doubles. This includes her 2025 Australian Open title with seasoned compatriot John Peers, a former world No. 2 in doubles who has won the Australian Open and reached finals at hard-court Slams, and also claimed Olympic gold on clay at the 2024 Games. Yet, in singles, Gadecki has little to boast about, especially on fast hard courts or grass, let alone slow, tactical clay.

This season, Olivia reached the third round in Zaragoza, though the competition wasn’t the toughest, before falling 3-6, 3-6 in the semifinals to 19-year-old Spanish rising star Caitlin Keough-Vedo. After moving to France, at Saint-Malo she endured a tough three-setter against promising 18-year-old Afro-Canadian Victoria Mboko (6-2, 2-6, 6-3) before losing in straight sets to local favorite Elsa Jacquemot (2-6, 5-7). At the Rome 1000 event, Gadecki lost in the qualifying final to fellow Australian Ajla Tomljanović (1-6, 3-6), but entered the main draw as a lucky loser, where she put up a surprisingly strong fight against American Caroline Dolehide, eventually bowing out in three sets: 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 2-6.

Coco Gauff’s Clay Season So Far

Defying expectations, Coco has delivered a spectacular run on clay—no other way to put it. With 11 wins out of 14 matches across three tournaments, she reached the finals in Stuttgart and Rome, falling to clay specialist Jasmine Paolini, and then the final in Madrid where Aryna Sabalenka was too strong. Back-to-back finals at two WTA 1000 events is a remarkable achievement even for Gauff. She became just the seventh player ever to reach finals in both Madrid and Rome in the same season, with Rome marking her 13th WTA final overall. Notably, she earned at least two wins over top-10 opponents, including a dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory over Iga Świątek in Madrid and an epic semifinal against China’s Qinwen Zheng in Rome that lasted three and a half hours (7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4)). In that final set, Gauff twice trailed by a break and even saved a match point on Zheng’s serve. Remarkably, this was only the third WTA 1000 semifinal in history decided by a final-set tiebreak.

Gauff remains self-critical, acknowledging there’s room for improvement, especially with her serve, which has been plagued by double faults. While on slow clay this isn’t as detrimental as on fast hard courts, it’s an area she’s keen to refine.

“In the Rome final, I planned to play more aggressively because I knew that if I stayed passive, Paolini would make me run all over the court. Regarding the double faults, yes, I need to improve my serve if I want to take the next step; it’s definitely something I have to work on. As for unforced errors, I was simply trying to attack. The court was very slow in the semifinal, making it tough to hit winners—we made mistakes, and points were won either by forcing the opponent into an error or capitalizing on their unforced mistakes. Still, I reached the finals of two tournaments—despite mistakes and maybe not playing my best—losing to two strong opponents: Sabalenka in Madrid and Paolini in Rome. There’s a lot to improve and work on, which both motivates me and boosts my confidence. If I come into Roland Garros in good shape, I believe I can have a successful run—hopefully reaching the final, and maybe on my third attempt, I’ll finally win it. But there’s a long way to go,” Gauff said.

Head-to-Head History

Olivia Gadecki and Coco Gauff have never faced each other on the WTA Tour, and there are no records of meetings in juniors either.

Match Prediction: Olivia Gadecki vs. Coco Gauff

Predicting Gauff’s early-round matches against clear underdogs is always tricky. Honestly, this one largely depends on Gauff’s mindset rather than Gadecki’s performance. Olivia can only try to keep the ball in play. If Coco is determined to finish quickly and get back to her favorite smartphone apps or a tablet series, and if she fights for every point, this match will be over swiftly. However, if Gauff eases into the tournament, adapting gradually to the court without rushing, it might resemble her Australian Open performances and possibly extend to three sets.

That said, let’s hope for the first scenario—a dominant win for the favorite with a game difference of around minus seven, projecting a scoreline near 6-2, 6-2 in Coco’s favor, or perhaps even more decisive (who knows, maybe she’ll decide to “open the bakery” like Iga Świątek).

Coco Gauff will travel a smooth road in Paris. Gauff got the best draw in the women’s bracket for the 2025 French Open, based on the average world ranking of likely opponents. The 128-player Grand Slam event gets underway on May 25.

Gauff, who recently returned to No. 2 in the world rankings, is the big name in the bottom half of the draw. She wouldn’t face any other top contenders for the title – No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka, four-time champion Iga Swiatek, or 2024 runner-up Jasmine Paolini – until the final.

Gauff, who reached the French final in 2022, also has a relatively easy draw for the opening rounds. She starts the event against No. 93 Olivia Gadecki. Should she reach the second round, she is guaranteed to face an opponent with an even worse ranking – either No. 121 Chloe Paquet or qualifier Tereza Valentova.

Who got the easiest and toughest draws for the French Open?

The other top seed in Gauff’s eighth of the draw is No. 15 Barbora Krejcikova, who has been injured for most of 2025.

Toughest draw for a top seed

No. 5 seed Iga Swiatek’s spring string of bad news continues. Based on the average world ranking of likely opponents, Swiatek got the worst draw of any of the tournament’s single-digit seeds. Swiatek’s recent slide landed her in the same half of the draw as Sabalenka and Paolini. She likely won’t face any opponents outside of the top 50.

Swiatek’s first match is against world No. 41 Rebecca Sramkova. In Round 2, she’d face No. 42 Xinyu Wang or 43rd-ranked former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu.

Toughest draw overall

Four-time major champion and current world No. 49 Naomi Osaka got a rotten draw for Roland Garros – the toughest in the field, based on the average world ranking of likely opponents. She opens the tournament against No. 10 seed Paula Badosa, who is coming off a semifinal appearance at the most recent Slam in Australia.

Even if Osaka pulls off the opening-round upset, she likely would not open up her section of the draw by doing so. She most likely would face no players worse in the rankings than No. 44 in subsequent rounds.

Best opportunity for an unseeded player

World No. 64 Katie Volynets is in a good position to stay in Paris through the first few rounds. She’ll face a qualifier, Joanna Garland, in the first round. Her most likely opponent in the second round is Yulia Putintseva, the event’s 32nd – and final – seeded player.

No. 2 seed Coco Gauff gets favorable draw at French Open. Other key observations.

When Coco Gauff, as a 15-year-old from Delray Beach, Florida, famously defeated Venus Williams at the 2019 Wimbledon as a wildcard, she instantly became a global sensation. Her deep connection to her roots is no secret, often highlighted by her tribute to her hometown and now her latest New Balance drop – the “Delray Coco” kicks. But this connection runs deeper than mere sentiment. As her mother, Candi, once stated in a Teen Vogue interview, “[Coco] has a responsibility. You come from a lineage who has done great things. We wouldn’t put [anything] on you that hasn’t been done [already].” Gauff proudly carries this legacy. But where did it start?

The 21-year-old appeared on the $10.7 billion brand Rolex’s YouTube channel in an exclusive documentary series, ‘Game Changer’. She walks us through her beginnings as a tennis player. What inspired her? Telling her father she wanted to be a ‘GOAT’ after watching Serena Williams at the Australian Open at five or six years old. A heartwarming moment comes when she speaks about her grandparents, Yvonne Lee and Eddie “Red” Odom.

She said, “Growing up, it was never a thought for me to be a professional tennis player. Especially in the Black community, even now, tennis is still so uncommon. This is Atlantic High School. My grandmother, she was the first Black person to attend this school. She’s kind of a local legend. To make big things happen, I think it takes people to change. My grandfather, he’s a baseball coach. He helps run Delray Beach Little League, one of the first African American leagues in the state of Florida.” But how did they pave the way in Delray Beach?

Coco Gauff’s grandmother, Yvonne Lee Odom, faced tough challenges but never backed down. In 1961, she became the first Black student at Delray Beach’s Seacrest High School. Despite segregation, she stood strong, even when banned from a bus or told not to use the same restrooms. Though a sprinter and basketball captain, she was denied a chance to play at Seacrest because of her race, shattering her dream of a college sports scholarship. Still, she never gave up fighting.

Her grandfather, Eddie Odom, has his own story. A baseball lover, he made a big impact in Delray Beach’s American Little League. In 1970, Eddie started a Little League for Black kids, giving them a chance to play organized baseball. “Everyone who knew me on both sides of the track, they understand I love baseball,” Eddie said. “You can be broke, mad, or all the worst things, but at the ballpark, you forget it all.”

Inspired by her family, Coco gives back, too. In her docuseries with Rolex, she noted, “You can inspire people to do things not just from playing, but who you are as a person. My grandparents, they played their role so that I can live my life. I feel like I have to play my role, so somebody else can live a better life.”

During Black History Month, she donated $100,000 to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to support HBCUs. She said, “My family has a deep-rooted history with HBCUs, going back to my great, great grandfather.” From May 2025, the “Coco Gauff Scholarship Program” will award scholarships to tennis students through UNCF.

Back in December, she celebrated them winning the Community Lifetime Achievement Award. She shared a heartfelt photo on Instagram with the caption, “community lifetime achievement award 💜 no one more deserving @yvonne.odom my grandparents >>>.” Family pride at its best!

Clearly, her grandparents’ strength and love fuel her success on and off the court. But they don’t hold back on cheering her on through her career either!

Gauff’s grandparents express their pride in the American star

At just 21, Coco already boasts 9 titles, including her epic 2023 US Open victory! While she hasn’t clinched a title since winning the WTA Finals in Riyadh and the United Cup with Team USA, she’s still making strides in her 2025 season. Reaching two finals back to back in Madrid and the Italian Open, she’s now the No. 2 ranked player in the world. And her grandmother always knew she’d be great. She said in a post on social media, “Coco, to me, was destined for greatness because as a little girl, she displayed that in many ways. I love you, you know I always say I love you, but do your best.”

Last year, Coco made history as the youngest US flag bearer at the Olympics Ceremony and clinched the WTA Finals! After a rollercoaster six years, what’s Grandma’s advice? “You know I’ve always said that because if you do your best, win or lose, I might not care if you win another match, you already made me proud. So always, do your best. Like your grandaddy said, ‘Never say die,’” she shared.

The Gauff family is bursting with pride! In August 2024 , her grandfather flaunted Coco’s New Balance T-shirt (the $5.3 billion sponsor) on Instagram. The shirt featured Coco chowing down on pizza in New York, and he captioned it, “Look at the new COCO SHIRT… PIZZA in New York..” He’s always so proud of the young tennis star.

Now, with her sights set on a French Open Grand Slam, will Coco conquer, fueled by her community and family’s love? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Italian Open 2025: Coco Gauff said that she needs to work on her game before the French Open after losing back-to-back finals on clay in Madrid and Rome.

Coco Gauff acknowledges that there is one crucial part of her game that is “something I know I have to improve and do better” following the Italian Open final.

The American reached back-to-back WTA 1000 finals as she lost in the Madrid Open final against Aryna Sabalenka at the beginning of May before going down against Jasmine Paolini at Foro Italico a fortnight later.

After surviving a three-hour, three-setter against Zheng Qinwen in the semi-final in Italy, Gauff was no match for the local hero in the final as Paolini won 6-4, 6-2.

There is no doubt Gauff was her own worst enemy, but she was quick to point out that her opponent forced her to make errors.

“Jasmine played I think great tennis today. I think it was one of her best levels today. I also didn’t play my best level. I think it’s both,” she said.

“It’s not to discredit my opponent. She forced me to play that way. Yeah, maybe I could have served better and put more balls in the court, could play better. I definitely could and can.”

Gauff served seven double faults in the final and 15 in the semi-final while her total unforced error count against Paolini was an astonishing 55 to go with the 70 against Zheng.

Asked if she was slightly concerned by those figures, the 21-year-old replied: “Yes and no. I knew today I was trying to be more aggressive because I felt like if I was being passive, she would run me across the court.

“I think for me I guess, yeah, with the double-faults, it’s something I know I have to improve and do better. If I want to make it to the next level, it’s definitely something I have to improve.

“Unforced errors? I mean, I was just going for my shots. In the semi, I mean, there is context behind that in the semi-final. The court was super slow. We were both missing balls. It’s not so easy to hit a winner. The only way to win the points is to force your opponent to make an error or they make an unforced error.

“Today I think it was just a tough day for me.”

Coco Gauff News

Points and money earned by Paolini, Gauff, Swiatek, Raducanu, Eala at Italian Open

Jasmine Paolini wins second WTA 1000 title, dominates Coco Gauff to lift Italian Open trophy

But there is no doubt Gauff’s performances in Madrid and Rome will give her a boost ahead of the French Open where she will be seeded second behind world No 1 Sabalenka.

She reached the semi-final at Roland Garros last year, the quarter-final in 2023 and finished runner-up to Iga Swiatek in 2022.

“I think it’s both confidence and motivation to do better. Hopefully I can get to the final in Roland Garros and maybe the ‘third time is a charm’ thing is a real thing. That’s looking so far ahead,” the American said.

“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.

“I made the final with those errors. Made the final maybe not playing my best tennis. It just gives me confidence if I can find that good form heading into Roland Garros, I can do well there.”