French Open 2024: Iga Swiatek overwhelms Coco Gauff to reach third straight final

The number one seed Swiatek will be looking to join a select band of players who have lifted the Suzanne Lenglen Cup four times, when she competes in the final on Saturday.

Iga Swiatek celebrates winning the semifinal of French Open 2024 against Coco Gauff. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Defending champion Iga Swiatek took a big step towards a third successive Roland Garros title by dismantling teary American third seed Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinal of French Open 2024 on Thursday to match her longest winning streak on clay.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek also extended her dominance over Gauff by sealing an 11th victory in 12 meetings and will head into a Saturday showdown with 12th seed Jasmine Paolini who beat Mirra Andreeva in the other semifinal.

Swiatek drew first blood by breaking in the opening game of the contest after a forehand error by the ultra-aggressive Gauff and the top-seeded Pole fought off break points in her next two service games before tightening her grip.

Having dropped the first set following an error, Gauff wiped away tears while up 2-1 in the second after an argument with the umpire over a contentious line call, but the U.S. Open champion recovered to break her opponent for the first time.

However, Swiatek struck back immediately before holding and breaking to surge to a 4-3 lead with a powerful winner as a 20th straight victory at Roland Garros appeared in sight for the 23-year-old at her favourite hunting ground.

Soaking up the applause at a sun-drenched Court Philippe-Chatrier, Madrid and Rome champion Swiatek secured victory on serve and equalled her 18-match winning streak on the sport’s slowest surface between Stuttgart and Warsaw in 2022.