**Coco Gauff’s Favorable 2025 French Open Draw and Key Observations**
Coco Gauff, the No. 2 seed and 2023 US Open champion, has landed a highly favorable draw at the 2025 French Open, starting May 25, positioning her as a strong contender to reach her second Grand Slam final. According to USA Today, Gauff avoids top seed Aryna Sabalenka and defending champion Iga Swiatek until a potential final, with most major contenders, including Sabalenka, Jasmine Paolini, and Qinwen Zheng, concentrated in the top half of the draw. Gauff’s path includes a first-round match against Australia’s Olivia Gadecki, ranked No. 88, followed by a potential second-round clash with French wildcard Chloe Paquet or a qualifier. Her third-round opponent could be No. 30 seed Anna Kalinskaya, who has never advanced beyond the second round at Roland Garros, and in the fourth round, she’s projected to face 2021 champion Barbora Krejcikova, who is returning from a back injury and hasn’t played competitively in 2025.
In the quarterfinals, Gauff might meet No. 7 seed Madison Keys, the 2025 Australian Open champion who has struggled recently, or No. 19 Emma Navarro. Her likely semifinal opponents include No. 6 Mirra Andreeva, whom Gauff has beaten twice on clay this season, including a 6-4, 7-6(5) Italian Open win, or No. 3 Jessica Pegula, whose hard-court prowess overshadows her clay record. Gauff’s 24-8 season record, bolstered by finals in Madrid and Rome despite losses to Sabalenka and Paolini, and her 2024 French Open doubles title with Katerina Siniakova, fuel optimism. She expressed confidence post-Rome, saying, “Hopefully I can get to the final in Roland Garros, and maybe the third time is a charm,” per Sportskeeda. However, her 42 double faults at the Italian Open highlight a persistent serve issue that could be exploited, as noted by coach Rick Macci.
**Other Key Observations:**
1. **Swiatek’s Tough Path**: Four-time champion Iga Swiatek, now No. 5 seed after a 2025 slump (no finals since her 2024 title), faces a brutal top-half draw with a potential fourth-round clash against 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko, who leads their head-to-head 6-0, and a quarterfinal against Paolini. Sabalenka, the No. 1 seed, could face Olympic champion Zheng in the quarters, per ESPN.
2. **Djokovic’s Decline**: Novak Djokovic, 38, has a favorable draw but a 6-5 record since his 2024 Olympic gold, raising doubts about his ability to win a fourth French Open, per USA Today.
3. **American Men’s Cluster**: No. 4 Taylor Fritz faces potential third-round and fourth-round matches against Americans Alex Michelsen, Frances Tiafoe, or Sebastian Korda, with No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti favored to emerge from their quarter.
4. **Osaka’s Opportunity**: Naomi Osaka, unseeded, faces No. 10 Paula Badosa in the first round. A win could open her draw for a deep run, leveraging her recent Saint Malo title, per USA Today.
Gauff’s draw, avoiding early threats and leveraging her clay-court form (9-1 in her last 10 matches), makes her a favorite to reach the final, but addressing her serve will be critical.
