Coco Gauff’s Alarming Concern Shut Down by Serena Williams’ Ex-Coach Hours Before French Open Semi-Finals

“I move well on clay, I’m comfortable with sliding and moving on the surface, this is the most physical surface, and I do well in that department.” American sensation and 2023 US Open winner Coco Gauff exuded confidence in her clay skills after snatching the quarterfinal spot at the 2025 French Open. And on Wednesday, she entered the semis too, besting compatriot Madison Keys. While the 21-year-old may have gone through a dry season so far, failing to make deep runs in back-to-back events, her clay performances have been nothing short of impressive. That’s exactly what Serena Williams’ former coach and Naomi Osaka’s present trainer also believe. He’s now come forward, dismissing vague claims, painting clouds of uncertainty over Gauff.

For the uninitiated, Gauff has been a consistent player on clay. In fact, she’s even won the French Open Juniors title back in 2018. After turning pro, she also succeeded in reaching her maiden slam final on the very surface. During the 2022, Roland Garros, the then 18-year-old, made it to the summit clash. Unfortunately, she couldn’t complete her slam dream. Five-time slam queen Iga Swiatek defeated her and lifted the trophy. But that was the start of Gauff’s consistent run on the Parisian clay. A year later, she made it to the QF stage. Then last season, she did one better while reaching the semis.

Even this season, prior to her French Open campaign, she regained her form on the clay. In Stuttgart, she made it to the QF before reaching the final battle at the Madrid Open. Not to forget the Italian Open, where she reached her second straight final of 2025. Now at the Roland Garros, she’s on the verge of entering a second summit clash in Paris. Simply amazing, right? Patrick Mouratoglou, who’s Naomi Osaka’s current coach, echoed this sentiment in a recent clip. He was pitched several rumors. The task was simple: to determine true or false claims about selected players. For Gauff, it was claimed that “Coco has never been so dominant on clay”. Mouratoglou’s immediate response was “False”. Justifying the answer, he said, “I think she’s been dominant and consistent on clay,” while also underlining that “she has more maturity now than before.”

With her dominant form at the ongoing edition, Gauff has earned a new milestone. After ousting compatriot Keys in the quarterfinal, she has registered 25 main draw wins on the Parisian clay. Her singles record now stands at 25-5, as of this writing. It translates to a win percentage of 83.33. Not bad at all. At 21, she’s got a lot more seasons ahead to improve this stat further.

However, on Thursday, Gauff’s streak will face a huge threat. Why so? She’s set to face probably the most dangerous wildcard in French Open history. Local favorite Lois Boisson, who’s playing her debut slam event and Roland Garros, has sent shockwaves across the tennis circuit. The 22-year-old first pulled off an upset against Jessica Pegula. In the fourth round, the 361-ranked player ousted the World No.3 with a dominant performance (3-6, 6-4, 6-4). And then, it was the turn of 18-year-old Russian prodigy Mirra Andreeva.

Boisson gave no chance to Andreeva and entered her maiden semifinal with a straight set win. In front of 15,000 home fans, Boisson proved too good to beat for the World No.6. Now the same 15,000 crowd will back her against Gauff. Would that intimidate Gauff?

Coco Gauff says she’s “ready” to face the 15,000 French crowd

During high intensity matches, especially during slams, players may get intimidated by fans. More so in the encounters where they are facing a home favorite. In Coco Gauff‘s case, she won’t just play against Lois Boisson on Thursday. A packed crowd at Court Philippe-Chatrier will also try to affect her momentum and performance.

However, the World No.2 is showing no signs of nerves. Ahead of the crucial semifinal against Boisson, she said, “I think there are two ways I have (coped with) it in the past. Either, A, just pretend they’re cheering for you, and B, just using it and not letting that get to you,” reported WTA’s website on June 4.

She added, “I have been in crowds where they are 99% for me, so I don’t have an issue with it. I hope everyone will be respectful and things. If not, it’s cool.” Per Gauff, “I think it makes sports exciting, and I can’t get irritated at the fact that someone is rooting for their hometown hero, because I would do the same.”

On the other hand, Boisson’s now shifted her priority. Now it’s not about just making a deep run to the semis. She’s targeting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. In a press conference on Wednesday, she declared, “I think every kid who plays tennis has the dream to win a Slam. For French players, even more to win Roland Garros. It’s a dream for sure. I will go for the dream. My dream is to win it. Not to be in the semifinal.” What are your thoughts on Gauff’s prospects against the French wildcard? Let us know in the comments below.

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