FRENCH OPEN 2024: ALEX CORRETJA SAYS ‘MAJOR CHAMPION’ COCO GAUFF IS PLAYER TOP RANKED STARS WANT TO AVOID

Coco Gauff lost to world No. 1 Iga Swiatek at the Italian Open this month but Alex Corretja thinks the American is one to watch at the French Open as she is playing with confidence. Corretja has also pinpointed Danielle Collins as a tough opponent as she continues to enjoy a successful final season before retiring. Stream the 2024 French Open live and on-demand on discovery+

Coco Gauff is the player the top-ranked players will want to avoid at the French Open, according to Eurosport’s Alex Corretja.
The 2023 US Open champion will be arriving at Roland-Garros to hunt down her second Grand Slam title.

However, she lost both the WTA 1000 finals in Madrid and Rome against world No. 1 Swiatek. In Madrid, the final was particularly close with Swiatek winning it 7-5 4-6 7-6(7).

In Rome, Sabalenka struggled with a back injury which played its part in the 6-2 6-3 defeat.
Nevertheless, Corretja has credited Sabalenka’s progress in recent weeks following the passing of her former partner Konstantin Koltsov.
“Sabalenka, she’s been improving, improving unbelievably,” he told Eurosport’s Arnold Montgault.
“I mean, I’m very impressed by the way she’s hanging in there and handling the whole situation.
“I think she’s already proved to herself that she can do very well on clay. A few years ago, maybe we thought that she was a little bit more inconsistent because she didn’t like the surface that much.
“But now she knows how to also move better and be consistent. I think before she was very powerful, but maybe she was missing a little too early.
“I would say now, you know that she can hit seven, eight, nine shots in a very good speed and this is so difficult for an opponent.
“There’s so much pressure off the return, so much pressure with the serve. If someone is ready to win another major, it’s Aryna.”

However, Corretja believes Swiatek may be the only one capable of stopping Sabalenka from winning her first French Open title.
He said: “Is it going to be Roland-Garros? Well, it’s probably the toughest place because Iga has got a little bit of an advantage.

“But we’ll see because they can only meet in the final and that is a long way to go.”

Defending champion Swiatek has won three of the last four French Open titles and goes into the tournament in fine form after her WTA 1000 victories in Madrid and Rome, respectively.
Corretja believes Swiatek’s greatest opponent could be herself when she bids to win the fifth Grand Slam of her career.
“I think definitely she’s the main favourite,” he said. “But she’s not the only one. I think she knows that and she’s going to be the favourite entering the tournament.
“If someone wants to beat Iga, I don’t like to compare names, but it’s a little bit like when Rafa [Nadal] was in a very good way.
“To beat Iga on that court, such a massive court at Roland-Garros, it’s so difficult.
“You need to be at your 100% to beat her and maybe you have a chance, but I think it will depend a little bit more on her than any other.”