Coco Gauff Shows Resilience in Madrid Victory, Sets Up Swiatek Showdown
Coco Gauff proved once again why she thrives under pressure, battling through a tense opening set before dominating the second in her quarterfinal match at the Madrid Open. Facing off against Mirra Andreeva, Gauff recovered from a shaky start to win 7-5, 6-1 in a showdown between two of the youngest players in the WTA Top 10.
Andreeva, fresh off her 18th birthday and riding a hot streak of five consecutive wins over Top 10 players, had Gauff on the ropes early. The Russian held a 5-3 lead and had two set points, appearing poised to continue her impressive run. But Gauff flipped the script. She saved both set points, leveled the set at 5-5, and from there, never looked back—winning eight straight games and closing out the match in commanding fashion.
Statistically, Gauff had 18 winners to Andreeva’s 15 and kept her unforced errors lower—just 22 compared to Andreeva’s 28.
After the match, Gauff discussed how she manages pressure-filled situations. She explained that experience has taught her how to handle the moment. Reflecting on her 2022 French Open final loss, Gauff said that the nerves overwhelmed her then, and she vowed not to let that happen again. Now, she approaches big matches with calm confidence, understanding that if she loses, it won’t be because of nerves.
That 2022 final was a turning point for Gauff. At 18, she had stormed to the French Open final without dropping a set but fell short against Iga Swiatek, who was dominant in a 6-1, 6-3 win. It was a harsh lesson but one Gauff has clearly taken to heart.
A year later, Gauff won her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set battle. Since then, she’s continued to grow and improve, and her eyes are now set on claiming her first clay-court title of the 2025 season.
With her win over Andreeva, Gauff advances to her first semifinal of the year, having previously fallen in the quarterfinals of both the Australian Open and Stuttgart. She’ll next face Swiatek in what promises to be a blockbuster semifinal.
Swiatek, who also had to rally from behind in her quarterfinal—losing the first set 0-6 to Madison Keys before recovering 6-3, 6-2—comes into the match with an 11-3 head-to-head advantage over Gauff. On clay, Swiatek has won all five of their encounters. However, Gauff has claimed the last two meetings between them, both on hard courts.
This semifinal marks the third time the two will meet in a WTA 1000 clay semifinal. The previous two, both in Rome, went to Swiatek. But Gauff has never looked more prepared. With her recent momentum, she may finally be ready to end her clay-court losing streak against the world No. 2.
Gauff’s performance also earns her a place in the record books, becoming the second-youngest player to reach the semifinals at both Madrid and Rome—behind only Caroline Wozniacki. The winner of the Gauff vs. Swiatek clash will face either Aryna Sabalenka or Elina Svitolina in the final.
As the tournament heats up, all eyes are on whether Gauff can finally conquer Swiatek on clay—or if the Polish star will continue her dominance.