Coco Gauff advanced to her first Miami Open semifinal with a hard-fought 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory over Belinda Bencic in 2 hours and 15 minutes. The American tennis star became the youngest player to reach the women’s singles semifinals at the Miami Open since Serena Williams in 2024. Gauff improved her head-to-head record against Bencic to 5 wins in 7 meetings at the WTA Tour level.
“It was a tough match,” Gauff said in her on-court interview. “Belinda is a tough player. Every time we play, it’s a long match. It took a lot of running today, some falls, but I’m really proud of how I fought today. I think that’s been a theme of the week.” The World No. 4 dominated the opening set with perfect 8-for-8 net play and won 94% of her first-serve points in the 51-minute opener.
Bencic responded strongly in the second set, cutting her unforced errors from 15 to 7 while breaking Gauff twice to take the set in less than half an hour. The Swiss player found her rhythm with her forehand and used sharp winners to seize control. Bencic finished the match converting 4-of-5 break point opportunities, demonstrating her efficiency in crucial moments.
The decisive third set featured a pivotal moment when Gauff, trailing 3-2 and frustrated after missing multiple break chances, exclaimed “So many chances.” That outburst became a turning point as she immediately broke back to level at 3-3 and never looked back. Gauff won the final four games of the match despite converting only 4-of-13 break point chances overall.
“Just how I was able to hold my nerve,” Gauff said of what pleased her most about the victory. “As the match got longer, I was able to serve better. I think that ace at 30-all just shows the improvement and trusting myself and making the second serve on match point, I think there’s a lot of things to be proud of today.” She sealed the victory with a pinpoint drop shot followed by another clean putaway after climbing out of a 0-30 deficit while serving for the match.
Gauff will face Karolina Muchova in the semifinals, where history favors the American with a perfect 5-0 record against the Czech player. Four of those previous victories came in straight sets, giving Gauff confidence heading into the next round. The semifinal represents another milestone in Gauff’s rapid ascent in professional tennis, building on her breakthrough performances throughout the tournament week.