What Raducanu can learn from ‘Next Gen’ rivals’ route to success
French Open finalists Swiatek and Gauff are doing the right things on and off the court to set an example for British No 1
For the second time in three majors, a singles final is about to be contested by two women born in the 21st Century. The circumstances, however, feel very different.
In New York in September, 18-year-old Emma Raducanu and 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez arrived like thieves in the night – unheralded and unanticipated. This Roland-garros final is very different. It feels only logical that Swiatek – who turned 21 on Tuesday – should be pushing for the French Open title, considering that she has not lost a match since February.
As for 18-year-old Coco Gauff, she has been perceived as a surefire champion since she ambushed Venus Williams in the opening round of Wimbledon in 2019.
Together, these startlingly mature and self-possessed young women represent the sort of “Next Gen” that men’s tennis has been seeking for the past five years.
Their success feels predictable and repeatable, built upon solid foundations in a manner that their rivals can only envy.
For Raducanu – whose season is about to become even more stressful as last year’s rankings points start to drop off her record – it might be worth considering what Swiatek and Gauff are doing so right.
360-degree support
The teams around both these finalists are clearly providing high levels of support and expertise, even if Gauff remains in the often problematic position of having a father – Corey – who is also her coach.
We have seen such dynamics come unstuck in numerous other instances. But Corey is unusual in several ways. For one thing, he has been prepared to bring in a more experienced coach – Diego Moyano, who previously worked with 2017 US
Open champion Sloane Stephens among others – for specialist tactical advice. What is more, Corey has the selfawareness to accept the inherent challenges of his dual role.
As he told the
New York
Times this week, “[Moyano] is trying to get her to understand why she’s making the decision [of what shot to play] and what the impact is. And he’s been pretty effective compared to dad. We dads tend to be command and control, and that doesn’t always work.”
In Swiatek’s case, meanwhile, she recently shifted to an older, more experienced coach in Tomasz Witkorowski. But the real heart of her team is her psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, who has been at her side since her own parents split three years ago. Abramowicz admitted this week that Swiatek’s mother was “not in the picture”, and it feels as if her own presence has helped to mitigate that absence.
“I really enjoy working with such a smart, quick-witted, intelligent athlete,” Abramowicz said. “I think it’s a good fit. As a psychologist, it is always about the relationship and about this clicking, this communication, that helps us to navigate the challenging situations.”
Balance in all things
These finalists have very different character types. Swiatek is a selfdeclared introvert who finds too much company exhausting and spends a lot of time reading. Here in Paris, she finished an Agatha Christie whodunnit on the eve of her second-round match, and is now consuming The Three Musketeers. The other side of her personality is her perfectionism, which used to be her undoing.
In the past, a couple of unforced errors could be enough to derail her concentration, but her six wins at this French Open – where she has dropped only a single set despite some momentary dips in her performance level – suggest that she has become more mentally robust. “We have to differentiate two types of passion,” Abramowicz said. “On the one hand, perfectionism that becomes intolerance of mistakes, raising frustration. And on the other, a willingness to excel which understands that it is human to accept mistakes sometimes, or even to suffer intense losses. In every week, only one person can win, so it’s tough otherwise.” While Swiatek is charming but essentially shy, Gauff is easy-going and chatty.
After overcoming Martina Trevisan on Thursday, she admitted that she had also dialled down her own expectation levels.
In January 2020, after scoring a second win over Venus Williams while still only 15, Gauff had told reporters “my mission is to be the greatest. That’s my goal, to win as many grand slams as possible”.
Now, she is speaking in much broader terms, pointing out that “the people who love me are still going to love me regardless if I lift the trophy or not”, and emphasising that “I’m a human first before I’m a tennis player”.
These days, both Gauff and Swiatek are more likely to wander around cities and take in the sights.
As they prepare for today’s contest in the 16th Arrondissement, one could half-imagine them bumping into each other during a morning walk past the nearby Eiffel Tower.
The journey
Both these players made a meteoric landing on Planet Tennis – Gauff via that first Wimbledon, and Swiatek by winning the autumnal French Open of 2020. But neither was able to kick on immediately. It takes time to consolidate a sudden early success, and those who throw up their hands at Raducanu’s faltering progress should remember that.
On the other hand, these two case studies also show evidence of solid decision-making, patience and investment – all qualities that have been sadly lacking in Raducanu’s bumpy journey over the past nine months. This new generation of women is bursting with talent and charisma. Anyone who wants to be a consistent part of that needs to think carefully about their route to success.