Mirra Andreeva was within two match points of victory at the US Open, but Coco Gauff saved both and rallied from a set behind to triumph, booking her place in the semi-finals against incoming world number one Elena Rybakina.
A fourth-seeded player came back from a 2-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2 loss to win the match, turning it into a mental battle. The winner said the comeback was inspired by compatriot Frances Tiafoe’s victory over Alex Michelsen on Tuesday night.
Gauff said she thought about Frances during the break after the opening set, recalling that he returned to the court yesterday. She also noted that everyone wants to perform well for the audience. “Honestly, I was just trying to leave the court with no regrets,” she added.
Gauff’s slow start and scrappy middle
In the opening set, Gauff struggled badly, losing six of seven games, with Andreeva taking a one-set lead after just 26 minutes of play.
The second set was a messy one. Twice Gauff lost a break she had claimed, but she came through a 16-point tie-break to force a decider.
She racked up 42 unforced errors, a far greater total than her 22 winners, with 12 of those being double faults. One double fault came early in the tie-break, which seemed ominous, yet she kept her nerve to save two match points at the end.
The match changed course when Gauff took full control of the decisive moments in the final set, while Andreeva committed 14 unforced errors compared to Gauff’s two, and threw her racquet in anger after the first break of serve.
Annabel Croft, a former British number one, told BBC Radio 5 Live that Coco’s performance throughout the match was remarkable. “You have to admire how Coco does this,” Croft said. “She’s done it so many times in her career.” Croft noted that Coco appeared subdued and defensive at the start of the match but then transformed into a dominant force by the finish. “She was subdued and playing defensive tennis,” Croft explained. “By the end, she was completely controlling the match.”
The home crowd factor
The home crowd gave Gauff strength, something she has come to accept after being troubled by the pressure of disappointing them with a bad match earlier in her career.
She said she does not feel any fear of letting them down, and added that she is simply using them while knowing they will still support her when she steps onto the court.
Her run to the last four marks back-to-back Grand Slam semi-finals, with the two-time major champion reaching the US Open semi-finals for the first time since she won the title in 2023.
Tuesday marked the first occasion since Wimbledon in 2009 that the top four seeds made it to the semi-finals of the women’s singles at a major. Top seed Sabalenka and third seed Jessica Pegula both advanced on that day.
Rybakina secures number one ranking
Not long ago, second seed Rybakina came back after losing a set for the first time at this event — and falling behind on break points in the final set — to defeat Zheng Qinwen by scores of 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
A 27-year-old who trailed Aryna Sabalenka by only 434 points entered the US Open, and a run to the semi-finals secured her the top ranking for the very first time in her career.
The fact that Rybakina has risen to the number one spot in the rankings for the first time ever for a Kazakhstani man or woman is what will be the main story.
One of her two objectives at the tournament has been met, and she now needs just two victories to secure a second major crown this season, following her triumph at the Australian Open back in January.
Zheng’s remarkable run
Beaten opponent Zheng’s achievements should not go unnoticed.
After dropping out of the top 100 following elbow surgery in July 2025, the reigning Olympic champion went through three qualifying rounds before securing her first Grand Slam main-draw win since last year’s French Open.
The woman beat 22nd seed Madison Keys, who she trailed 5-0 in the third set and saved a match point against, and then defeated eighth seed Iga Swiatek to make her third quarter-final appearance in New York.
She entered the tournament at No. 121, but her ranking has climbed to 52nd in the live standings. She still has only 65 points to protect through the rest of the season.
The 23-year-old built momentum early when she broke late in the opening set, then survived five break points to go up 1-0. But she lost all control in the second set, her second serve coming under serious pressure.
In the final set’s eighth game, she came within one point of a break, only to miss an easy backhand pass. She answered that with a remarkable recovery from 0-40 in the very next game, fighting all the way to deuce. But then, after a weak backhand, she committed a double fault, sending her hopes of reaching a first US Open semi-final up in smoke.
Results and schedule
| Round | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter-final | Coco Gauff vs Mirra Andreeva | Gauff won 2-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2 |
| Quarter-final | Elena Rybakina vs Zheng Qinwen | Rybakina won 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 |
| Semi-final | Coco Gauff vs Elena Rybakina | To be played |
The Russian player spoke about her outburst after the match, explaining that she had been keeping her feelings in check throughout the contest. “I felt like I was holding my emotions for too long, not reacting on a lot of points,” she said. “At one point I felt like needed to let it out.”
Croft spoke highly of the standard of play at the tournament. “We’ve been blessed with the amount of intriguing matches we’ve had,” she remarked. She added that spectators were witnessing “these warriors” compete on court, and described how one of the players managed to rally back into contention.
Rybakina is competing to become the first Kazakhstani world number one, while Gauff holds two major titles.
Both have already shown they can come back from difficult positions.
Source: bbc.co.uk
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