Second Quarter
It was a long slog, and required three three-set wins and two comebacks from the brink, but Coco Gauff appeared to work herself back into top form by the time she reached the Rome final this past weekend.
Does that mean she’s ready to defend her crown at Roland Garros? She’ll be happy to have nabbed the No. 4 seed, which keeps her away from Sabalenka, Swiatek, and Rybakina until the semis. But she may not be looking forward to facing fellow American Taylor Townsend in the first round. They’ve played once, in Charleston back in 2019, and Townsend won.
The other seeds here include Amanda Anisimova, Elise Mertens, and Linda Noskova, who beat Coco in Madrid. But the one closest to her, Anastasia Potapova, may be the toughest of all right now. She has been much improved over the past month, and has the weapons to push Gauff around.
Unseeded: Zheng Qinwen. She could play Mertens in the second round.
Encore Performance: Lois Boisson. The Frenchwoman made the semis a year ago. This time she’ll start against Anna Kalinskaya.
🔸 Semifinalist: Gauff
