"I’d love to get a win": Coco Gauff praises Iga Swiatek ahead of 2023 WTA Finals clash

Coco Gauff praised Iga Swiatek ahead of their clash at the 2023 WTA Finals.

Both players have made a good start to their campaign at the 2023 WTA Finals in Cancun, with World No. 2 Swiatek defeating Marketa Vondrousova 7-6 (3), 6-0, while Gauff moved past Ons Jabeur 6-0, 6-1. As they are all in the Chetumal group, this means Gauff and Swiatek will now battle it out for a place in the semi-finals.

The pair have already faced each other a lot of times in the past and this will be their tenth meeting. Swiatek currently dominates their head-to-head 8-1, with Gauff having scored her first win against the four-time Grand Slam champion at this year's Cincinnati Open, just weeks before her maiden Grand Slam victory at the US Open.

However, the Polish player won their most recent encounter at the China Open in Beijing.

Speaking after her win against Jabeur, Gauff praised her upcoming opponent and admitted that she was particularly tough to beat with her style of game.

"She’s a tough player for anyone to play, but especially with my game. I found a little bit of it in Cincinnati. In Beijing [at the China Open] it was tough for me. I was dealing with a little bit of an injury there... she’s a tough player and she’s definitely one of the best players in our generation," the 19-year-old said.

Gauff also elaborated on their rivalry, joking that they must be going for some kind of record with the amount of times they had played against each other.

"I think for me, the more I can play against her, the more I can get better. After each time I play her I do learn and get better whether it’s a win or a loss. Hopefully this time I’d love to get a win on our head to head... At this rate, we’ll probably have the most matches ever at the end of our careers," she continued.

The match will take place today, Wednesday, November 1, at around 17:00 local time.