Queens, NY—–Coco Gauff is back in the U.S. Open quarterfinals.
The 2023 champion continued her impressive run through New York on Monday, defeating fellow American Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-4 in one hour and 33 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The victory extended Gauff’s winning streak to 10 matches and sent her into the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the 12th time in her career. It also marked her first appearance in the final eight at the U.S. Open since winning the tournament three years ago.
Gauff’s recent form has been especially impressive. With Monday’s straight-set victory, she has now won 20 consecutive sets on the WTA Tour. The last time she dropped a set came during her second-round match against Liudmila Samsonova in Cincinnati.
Next up is a familiar opponent.
Gauff will meet Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals, and history strongly favors the American. Gauff has won all five of her previous meetings with Andreeva, although four of those matches were played on clay. Their only previous hard-court encounter came at the 2023 U.S. Open.
For Gauff, another Grand Slam quarterfinal has become less of a milestone and more of a familiar destination.
“I think I just welcome it,” Gauff said. “A quarterfinal for me, I feel like I’m at the point where I’m used to being in this position. I’m constantly putting myself in quarterfinals, so the moment doesn’t seem as big anymore.”
Still, Gauff emphasized that familiarity does not mean she takes the opportunity for granted.
“I’m very lucky to play, be here, be in the quarterfinal,” she said. “Obviously, I hope to play many more, so I think it’s the fine line of appreciating the moment.”
Gauff had previously faced Jovic only once, but that meeting was anything but easy. The two played a three-set battle earlier this year in Rome, where Gauff eventually prevailed 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 before advancing all the way to the final.
Monday’s match was a much different story.
Jovic actually made the ideal start, breaking Gauff in the opening game. But whatever momentum the teenager gained disappeared almost immediately.
Gauff responded by winning the next six games, turning a shaky opening into a dominant first-set performance. She needed less than 35 minutes to close out the set.
The American’s run of dominance continued into the second set. From the middle portion of the opening set through the early stages of the second, Gauff won 25 of 30 points, putting Jovic under constant pressure.
But Jovic refused to go quietly.
The 18-year-old settled into the match and made the second set far more competitive. After falling behind by a break, Jovic fought back to level the set at 3-3 and appeared to be gaining confidence.
Gauff, however, remained composed when the pressure increased.
At 5-4, she found another opening and broke Jovic to take control of the match once again. That gave Gauff the chance to serve for the victory, and she closed out the match without allowing the contest to reach a deciding set.
Jovic left the court visibly emotional after the loss, disappointed with her performance. She struggled to make an impact behind her first and second serves, winning only 45% of her service points.
Gauff, meanwhile, credited her ability to reset quickly whenever momentum shifted.
“It’s always great when you can play your best tennis when the points are closer and when they’re able to come back,” Gauff said. “Obviously, I would like to be up a break and stay up a break, but that’s not tennis. It’s a back-and-forth game.”
That mental approach has become one of the defining aspects of Gauff’s recent success.
Rather than dwelling on missed opportunities, she said she focuses on what she can do differently the next time she finds herself in a similar situation.
“I’m doing a good job of when I maybe miss opportunities or lose some games, just keeping it in the past and focusing on the present,” Gauff said. “I try to just view it as what to do better and just trusting that I’ll be in the same position again.”
Now Gauff finds herself exactly where she wants to be — among the final eight players at the U.S. Open, with another Grand Slam title within reach.
