Coco Gauff is trying to accomplish a unique career feat for the second time

Coco Gauff has advanced to the semifinals in singles and doubles at the 2024 Italian Open. Her skill in both disciplines has been well documented over the years, but it is extremely difficult to win both events in the same tournament.

She did it one other time, in 2021 as a 17-year-old. Ironically, it also happened on Italian clay courts at the WTA 125 event at Parma. Partnered with Caty McNally, she added the doubles title after winning singles. "McCoco" was an exciting partnership in American women's doubles but as Gauff rose in the singles rankings, they were not always at the same events so Gauff joined forces with Jessie Pegula for doubles.

Because of Pegula's rib injury and absence from the WTA Tour this spring, Gauff has picked up different doubles partners at each tournament. In Madrid, she teamed with fellow American Taylor Townsend. In Rome, she is playing with Erin Routliffe from New Zealand. Routliffe is an accomplished doubles player who usually plays with Canadian Gaby Dabrowski currently off the tour with an injury.

Can Coco Gauff sweep the events at a WTA 1000 event?

Gauff has a lot of tennis yet to play, and there is no guarantee that she will make it to the finals much less win in either singles or doubles. Standing in her way to get to the singles final is World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. On the other side of the draw is Aryna Sabalenka who is awaiting the winner of the Danielle Collins and Victoria Azarenka quarterfinal match.

In doubles, the third-seeded team of Gauff and Routliffe will face the Chinese team of Zheng Saisai and Wang Xinyu who knocked the top-seeded team of Hsieh Su-wie and Elise Mertens out of the tournament. The other semifinal consists of an all-American eighth-seeded team of Desirae Krawczyk and Caroline Dolehide who will be battling the fan-favorite Italian team of Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani for a place in the finals.

For Gauff to potentially do this twice in her young career and for the second time around to be at a WTA 1000 event would be extremely impressive. Also, she played with McNally and won two titles before getting the clean sweep in Parma so winning on the first attempt with Routliffe would be amazing. It would give her confidence for the French Open and the Paris Olympics.

Gauff's match with Swiatek is scheduled for Thursday, May 16 at 9:00 AM EDT, and her doubles match will be played on Friday at a time yet to be determined.

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