Gauff Saves Match Points to Reach US Open Semis

American fourth seed Coco Gauff saved two match points to overcome Mirra Andreeva 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 on Wednesday, securing a spot in the US Open semifinals. The comeback victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium keeps alive her pursuit of a second Flushing Meadows title.

Gauff, 22, will face second seed Elena Rybakina in the semifinals after the Kazakh player defeated Zheng Qinwen to lock in the world number one spot in the WTA rankings following the tournament.

Comeback on Arthur Ashe Stadium

Andreeva, the 19-year-old French Open champion from Russia, dominated the early stages of the match. She won the first seven points and closed out the opening set in 26 minutes.

During the set break, Gauff said she thought about fellow American Frances Tiafoe, who had recovered from a two-set deficit in his quarterfinal match a day earlier. “So, honestly I was just trying to literally leave the court with no regrets,” Gauff said.

The second set reached a tiebreaker, where Gauff established a 5-3 lead after winning a 39-shot rally. Andreeva responded by taking three consecutive points to earn her first match point. Gauff saved it when Andreeva sent a forehand long, then thwarted a second match point at 7-6 down in the tiebreaker. Gauff went on to claim the set and dominated the third set to finalize the win.

“I think the motto of the match is just to fight,” Gauff said after her victory.

Historic Lineup in Flushing Meadows

The win sent Gauff to her seventh career Grand Slam semifinal and marked her 90th major match victory. The milestone ties Chris Evert for the fourth-highest total recorded by an American woman before age 23 in the Open era, behind Venus Williams (107), Serena Williams (103), and Mary Joe Fernandez (93).

Gauff’s victory also extended her winning streak to 11 matches, dating back to her tournament victory in Cincinnati. She joins a semifinal lineup that features all four top seeds in the women’s draw: top seed Aryna Sabalenka will play third seed Jessica Pegula in the other semifinal. It marks only the second time in the Open era that the top four women’s seeds have all reached the US Open semifinals, following the 1975 tournament.

The match was also part of a wider trend at the 2026 US Open, where six quarterfinal matches across the men’s and women’s draws went to deciding sets. That figure ties the Open era record set at the 1980 Australian Open, the 2005 US Open, and Wimbledon in 2022.

Semifinal Matchup

Gauff now turns her attention to Rybakina, who is guaranteed to assume the world number one ranking when the tournament ends. Speaking about her upcoming opponent, Gauff called her “the new world No. 1, so it’s going to be a tough match.”

Background

Coco Gauff won her first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2023, coming back from a set down against Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Her 2023 title run also followed a tournament victory in Cincinnati.