From the high bounces on red clay to the skidding slides on grass, the shift from Roland Garros to Wimbledon season is no joke. Only seven WTA players in the Open Era have ever managed to win both in the same year. Serena Williams is the only one who’s done it this century. Now, Coco Gauff has her eyes on that rare double after her stunning win at the French Open against World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka. But before Wimbledon even begins, the American’s already back in action. Her grass campaign kicks off at the Berlin Open, and there might be a rematch on the horizon sooner than expected.

This isn’t Gauff’s first rodeo in Berlin. In fact, the 21-year-old played the tournament three times before, but she’s still searching for her first grass-court title. In 2022, she made it to the semifinals before bowing out. Then came a round-of-16 exit in 2023. The 2024 edition didn’t go her way either. She reached the semifinals once again, but Jessica Pegula took her out in straight sets and went on to lift the trophy.

Coco Gauff’s draw this year won’t make it easy for her. But it’s nothing the reigning French Open champ can’t handle. She starts her Berlin Open run in the second round, thanks to a first-round bye. Her first match will be against qualifier Wang Xinyu.

After that, things get serious. If she wins, Gauff might face either fellow American Emma Navarro or Spain’s Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals. And that could get tricky. Navarro has beaten Gauff twice in their three meetings. Their latest showdown came at the 2024 US Open in the round of 16. Navarro won that one too, outlasting the defending champion in three tough sets.

The road doesn’t get smoother after that. Paula Badosa could be her next opponent if Navarro doesn’t make it through. The two have already faced off seven times. Badosa leads their head-to-head 4-3, which adds a layer of tension if they do meet in Berlin. So far, grass hasn’t been Gauff’s most successful surface. But she’s hungry for that breakthrough.

If Gauff clears that quarterfinal hurdle, things could really heat up further in the semis. Waiting there could be none other than Jessica Pegula, the player who dashed her hopes in Berlin last year. Off the court, they’re close friends. On the court? Different story. Pegula has proven she can handle Gauff’s explosive style, and this potential semifinal could be another tight one.

Should Gauff reach the final, it would be her best-ever result in Berlin. But there’s one more player who might be standing in her way. And she’s got some unfinished business. Aryna Sabalenka, the tournament’s top seed, could be looking for payback. The Belarusian fell to Gauff in the French Open final, a match where everything went wrong for her. Their rivalry had been dead even, tied at 5-5 before that final. But now, Gauff has the upper hand. And Sabalenka will be eager to even the score. The American might be fired up to show that her French Open win was no fluke, despite Sabalenka’s earlier claims. But the Belarusian has since apologized for those comments.

Aryna Sabalenka apologizes for her “unprofessional” comments

The French Open final didn’t just sting. It hit hard. Aryna Sabalenka made 70 unforced errors against Coco Gauff, one of the best defenders in the game. After the match, she was brutally honest.“It was the worst final I ever played,” Sabalenka said. “I think she won the match not because she played incredible, but just because I made all of those mistakes.”

That comment stirred up some controversy, but the World No.1 has since addressed it. She opened up in a recent chat with Eurosport Germany and took responsibility for her outburst. “That was just completely unprofessional of me. I let my emotions get the better of me,” she said. “I’m just a human being who’s still learning in life. I think we all have those days when we lose control.” Turns out, she even sent Coco Gauff a message.“I wrote to Coco afterwards – not immediately, but recently,” she admitted.

The Belarusian is still chasing another major in 2025. She already lost the Australian Open final earlier this year to Madison Keys, where she had been the two-time defending champ. That one hurt too. But the Gauff loss may have stung more, given her performance.  “I realised a lot about myself. Why did I lose so many finals? I kept getting so emotional,” Sabalenka said. “So it was a tough but very instructive lesson for me.”

Now, Berlin could give her a chance to rewrite the story. So here we are. Coco Gauff is starting her grass journey again, trying to make history. But she’ll have to go through a draw full of familiar faces and tough rivals to do it. Is another chapter in the Gauff–Sabalenka rivalry about to unfold on grass? Who do you think will win in their next encounter?