Before facing Badosa, Gauff confides: "It'll be tough against her".

Coco Gauff is not in the form of her life. Since the Australian Open, where she reached the semi-finals only to be beaten by eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka, the world number 3 has been stagnating. With the exception of Indian Wells, she has not once reached the final four. Worse still, she hasn't reached a final since the Auckland tournament in early January.

Still firmly entrenched in the world's top 3, thanks to a fine end to her 2023 season (back-to-back titles at Cincinnati and the US Open, accounting for almost half her WTA points), the American no longer really impresses. So much so, in fact, that she has been excluded from the "big three", which includes only Sabalenka (2nd), Swiatek (1st) and Rybakina (4th).

Her start to the tournament in Rome, although correct, did little to reassure her fans. After a solid first match (6-3, 6-3 win over Magdalena Frech, ranked 55th in the world), the 20-year-old still succumbed to a 6-0 defeat in her third-round match (6-1, 0-6, 6-3 win over Cristian, ranked 68th).

As she takes on a reinvigorated Paula Badosa in the Round of 16, Gauff remained cautious in her press conference. She said: "Paula and I aren't friends, we're at different points in our careers, but we like each other. I think she's a nice girl. [...] I admire her a lot and I always encourage her. It will be difficult to play against her. I feel she's back to her best. She was number 2 in the world and played very well. She's still dangerous."