The second seed, Coco Gauff, has taken Roland Garros by storm this year, and for all the right reasons. After back-to-back finals in Madrid and Rome, the 21-year-old has rediscovered her spark on the clay, the very surface she once declared, “I love clay,” back in 2022. Despite a rocky patch since the AO, Gauff is now thriving where it matters most. And in a dramatic prediction pivot, Roger Federer’s ex-coach Paul Annacone ditches “Team Sabalenka” to ride the Coco Gauff wave, just days after echoing Andy Roddick’s pick. Want to know what he said now?

Coco Gauff continued her quest for a maiden Roland Garros singles title with a commanding straight-sets win over 20th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, 6-0, 7-5. The American ace was dominant early, dropping just five points in the first five games and wrapping up the opening set in just 29 minutes.

Reaching the Parisian clay quarterfinals for the 5th consecutive year, the 2022 runner-up is once again proving her clay-court credentials. Meanwhile, former pro and ex-Federer coach Paul Annacone has thrown his full support behind Gauff, shifting from his pre-tournament pick, Aryna Sabalenka, to back the in-form American wonder girl.

Speaking on the “Tennis Channel Live” podcast, former pro and ex-Federer coach Paul Annacone recently weighed in on the current WTA landscape at the French Open and shared a major shift in his tournament prediction. “I think before the tournament, I think I picked Sabalenka, but I’m not sure. But now when I look at the draw, though, I really think Coco has got a great chance. I think that the next match is huge for her. I think if she gets past Maddie, she wins,” said Annacone, now fully backing Coco Gauff to win it all.

His reasoning is rooted in the draw’s layout and how it favors the American star. “And I think the other side of the draw, people, there’s going to be a lot of carnage, emotional and physical, with a lot of wear and tear. And I think none of them match up to Coco’s resiliency. And I think if Coco gets there, she wins this year,” he echoed.

Interestingly, just two days ago on Andy Roddick’s show “Served,” Roddick presented a different perspective. While analyzing the final rounds of the women’s draw, he selected Aryna Sabalenka as the favorite to win the title. He also chose Coco Gauff, the former US Open winner, as the finalist who would face Sabalenka.

Now coming to the draw, Gauff faces a pivotal QF matchup against fellow American Madison Keys. If she gets past Keys, she will meet either Mirra Andreeva or French wildcard Lois Boisson in the SF. Gauff boasts a perfect 4-0 record against Andreeva, including 2 straight-set wins on clay this year (Madrid and Rome). However, their 2023 Roland Garros clash extended to 3 sets. Meanwhile, Gauff has never faced Boisson on tour.

On the opposite side of the draw, the action promises fireworks as Aryna Sabalenka already won against China’s Q.W. Zheng in the quarters, booking her place at the SF. That match could set up a blockbuster semifinal between Sabalenka and 4-time Roland-Garros winner Iga Swiatek, who first has to overcome Elina Svitolina in her QF.

And despite the mounting expectations, Coco Gauff remains composed. As the clay continues to burn with thrilling matchups, Gauff stays laser-focused on a potential all-American triumph in Paris. Wondering what she said?

Coco Gauff Revives All-American Hopes With French Open Glory Nears

While American women, spearheaded by Coco Gauff, continue to shine at France, the men’s side of the draw has delivered a mixed bag of results. Taylor Fritz’s stunning 1st-round exit was an early blow to US ATP hopes. However, Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul, and Frances Tiafoe reignited the campaign with deep runs into the 4th round. However, Shelton’s journey ended at the hands of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz yesterday, leaving Paul and Tiafoe to carry the torch into the QF.

Now, the pressure mounts as both Paul and Tiafoe prepare to take center stage today in Paris. Paul faces a colossal challenge in Alcaraz, while Tiafoe squares off against clay-court expert and Italian 8th seed Lorenzo Musetti. With two ATP aces from America still in the fight, the possibility of an all-American SF on the men’s side has ignited fresh hope and excitement for a renaissance moment in US tennis, one that could pair beautifully with the dominance Gauff is displaying on the WTA side.

Following her recent victory, Coco Gauff spoke with the “Tennis Channel,” reflecting on the significance of the American ATP resurgence in men’s draws. “It’s great to see them doing so well and I think we’re in good hands and hopefully, you know, one day we can get one of those guys lifting the big one and, you know, it’ll be really cool at the same time for one of us to win on the women’s singles. I think that women and men… that would be pretty cool,” she said.

With Aryna Sabalenka now safely through to the semis, former pro Paul Annacone’s early prediction has already hit the mark. But as Gauff prepares for her QF clash, attention now shifts to whether the veteran’s boldest forecast, Gauff taking home the title, will come true. What do you think?