Coco Gauff beats Andreeva to reach US Open semifinals

Coco Gauff produced a remarkable comeback against Mirra Andreeva, saving two match points before defeating the Russian fifth seed 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 to reach the 2026 US Open semifinals.

The 2023 US Open champion appeared in serious trouble after a difficult opening set at Arthur Ashe Stadium, but Gauff recovered her composure, survived a dramatic second-set tiebreak and eventually pulled away in the deciding set.

Gauff's reward is a semifinal meeting with Elena Rybakina, who became the new world No. 1 earlier in the day after defeating Zheng Qinwen.

For Gauff, the victory was as much about resilience as it was about shot-making.

“The motto of the match was just to fight,” Gauff said after the match.

Andreeva dominates opening set

The match initially looked like it would belong to Andreeva.

The 19-year-old Russian raced through the opening four games, putting Gauff under pressure with consistent ball-striking and preventing the American from creating a single break-point opportunity.

Gauff struggled to find her usual attacking rhythm and finished the first set with 14 unforced errors compared with just five from Andreeva.

Andreeva eventually closed out the set 6-2, leaving Gauff with the task of finding a response against an opponent who appeared increasingly confident.

Gauff changes momentum after set break

Gauff briefly left the court between sets and returned with a different approach.

The American later revealed that she drew inspiration from fellow American Frances Tiafoe, who had produced a dramatic comeback from two sets down the previous night.

“I just had to reset,” Gauff explained.

The change did not immediately solve everything, however.

Gauff eventually found herself serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set, only for her serve to let her down at the most important moment.

Three double faults handed Andreeva an opportunity to break back and keep the match alive.

The Russian then pushed Gauff to the brink in the ensuing tiebreak.

Gauff survives two match points

The second-set tiebreak became the defining passage of the match.

Andreeva moved within two points of victory and earned two match points, but Gauff refused to give in.

The American saved both chances before producing one of the rallies of the contest — a 39-shot exchange that ended in her favour.

Gauff then found another big forehand to the corner that Andreeva could not handle, completing the tiebreak comeback and forcing a deciding set.

It was a major psychological swing.

Andreeva had been one point away from reaching the semifinals. Instead, she had to regroup for a third set against an opponent who had rediscovered her confidence.

Gauff takes control in deciding set

Gauff carried her momentum into the third set.

Andreeva dropped serve in the third game, prompting a visible display of frustration as she threw her racket towards her bench.

The American continued to apply pressure and broke again to love in the seventh game, effectively putting the contest beyond Andreeva's reach.

Gauff completed the comeback 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 and celebrated by dropping her racket to the court.

The victory sends her into the final four at Flushing Meadows and keeps alive her hopes of winning a second US Open title.

Gauff vs Rybakina: Semifinal set for New York

Standing between Gauff and a place in the US Open final is Rybakina, who arrives at the semifinal as the newly crowned world No. 1.

The Kazakh defeated Zheng earlier on Wednesday to claim the top ranking before Gauff completed her own comeback against Andreeva.

Gauff and Rybakina have split their two previous meetings, giving the semifinal a perfectly balanced head-to-head record.

Rybakina won their most recent encounter in the Toronto semifinals last month, adding another layer of intrigue to their upcoming clash.

Gauff acknowledged the challenge ahead.

“Elena – she’s the new world number one so it’s going to be a tough match,” she said. “I’m looking forward to the battle. These are the moments you live for.”

The semifinal will now bring together a resurgent Gauff and a Rybakina entering the biggest stage of the tournament as the new No. 1 player in women's tennis.

SportsLigue