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Coco Gauff Dominates Iga Swiatek in Madrid Open Semifinal

Coco Gauff soundly defeated Iga Swiatek in the Madrid Open semifinal.
Pat Benson|
Coco Gauff defeated Iga Swiatek in straight sets at the Madrid Open.
Coco Gauff defeated Iga Swiatek in straight sets at the Madrid Open. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Iga Swiatek entered Thursday's match against Coco Gauff with a strong 11-3 record in head-to-head meetings. Even better, the Madrid Open semifinal was on Swiatek's favorite surface, clay.

Despite the odds being in Swiatek's favor, the match was completely lopsided in favor of Gauff. It took just over one hour for Gauff to dominate Swiatek in straight sets: 6-1, 6-1.

Just yesterday, Swiatek came back from 0-6 in the first set to defeat Madison Keys. Unfortunately for the WTA World No. 2, she was not able to maintain that level of resilience. She buried her head in a towel and cried halfway through the second set.

Swiatek's play was erratic, while everything clicked for Gauff. The American star tallied six aces and one double fault to Swiatek's one ace and three double faults.

Gauff landed 66% of her first serves, winning points on 60% and 75% of her first and second serves. Swiatek landed 73% of her first serves, winning points on just 35% and 50% of her first and second serves.

Entering today's match, Gauff was 0-10 in sets played against Swiatek on clay. Today, Gauff handed Swiatek double breadsticks. It was the fewest number of games Swiatek had won in a match in the last six years. Gauff has now won their last three meetings.

"I was aggressive, and I played with margin," said Gauff in her post-match interview. Gauff acknowledged, "Maybe her level wasn't her best, but I think I forced her into some awkward positions."

Gauff added, "At any moment, she can come back and play great tennis." However, Swiatek's title drought continues. She has not won a tournament since the 2024 French Open, which has almost been a full year.

Meanwhile, Gauff is into her first-ever final at Madrid. She will face the winner of today's match between No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina. Swiatek will begin preparing for next week's Italian Open in Rome.

Gauff is now 19-6 after today's win. Swiatek falls to 26-8 on the season. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the tennis court and beyond.

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Nick Kyrgios implied he is playing in the 2025 French Open but is not on the entry list.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers professional tennis for Serve on Sports Illustrated, reporting on ATP and WTA events worldwide. From Challenger tournaments to Grand Slams, he brings readers in-depth coverage, daily recaps, and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport. With a decade of experience in sports journalism, Pat is recognized as a trusted voice in tennis media. You can contact him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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