By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Photo credit: Antoine Couvercelle/ROLEX
NEW YORK—The writing was on the wall and Coco Gauff couldn’t ignore its impact.
Facing two match points in the tiebreaker—and seeing those desolate digits flashing on the scoreboard—Gauff relied on fast feet and fearless strikes to completely flip the script.
The 2023 US Open champion Gauff fought off match points in the second set breaker then closed with command roaring past Mirra Andreeva 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-2 to land her second US Open semifinal in the last four years.
A determined Gauff stood up to severe stress and recalibrated her forehand wing that failed her in the opening set.
In the end, Gauff overcame 12 double faults, a bucket full of forehand errors and a Grand Slam champion opponent, storming through 12 of the final 15 points maintaining her mastery over the talented Andreeva.
Cincinnati Open champion Gauff scored her 11th consecutive victory, raising her 2026 record to 45-13.
In a clash of the current and former French Open champions, Gauff improved to 6-0 versus Andreeva.
The two-time Grand Slam champion drew one final error to close in two hours, 19 minutes. Then Gauff flung her Head racquet aside, yelled to her box “all heart!” and pounded her palm against her chest punctuating a heart-racing rally.
Afterward, Gauff credited buddy Big Foe, Frances Tiafoe, for inspiring this comeback. Yesterday, Tiafoe went full warrior mode rallying from two sets down to defeat Alex Michelsen.
In a pulsating all-American clash, Tiafoe dug out of a two-set deficit and an 0-3 hole in the fifth set edging Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(6) to scrape into his third US Open semifinal. Gauff recalled Big Foe’s stirring stand when she was down today.
“I think I just had to reset. I mean I came out not feeling the ball giving her too many free points. Mirra was playing a great level. Honestly, I was thinking about Frances Tiafoe and how he came back yesterday.
“We all want to do well in front of this crowd. I was honestly trying to literally leave this court with no regrets. I didn’t know how the outcome would come. Really, really, really thank you to you guys [the crowd] because you help me pull this one through.”
The fourth-seeded Gauff advanced to tomorrow night’s semifinals against second-seeded Elena Rybakina.
In a career-changing clash, Rybakina rallied past Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to advance to her maiden US Open semifinal and seize the world No. 1 ranking for the first time.
Australian Open champion Rybakina, who defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open final in January, surpassed current No. 1 Sabalenka to seize the top spot. When the new WTA rankings are released on Monday, the 27-year-old Rybakina will top the world.
“If I play Coco, of course I will expect that a lot of people going to support her. It’s normal,” said Rybakina, who is 1-1 vs. Gauff. “We practiced many times. We played recently also, so we know each other.
“Again, I just need to stay aggressive. Try not my emotions not let me play, and yeah, just enjoy. I think from where I was coming to this tournament, being injured and not practicing, I think we came pretty far.
“Now we just last pushes and important to still enjoy. Yeah, hopefully it’s going to go my way.”
Gauff’s gripping comeback means the Top 4 women’s seeds all advanced to the final four.
Two-time defending champion and top-seeded Sabalenka will face third-seeded Jessica Pegula in a semifinal rematch of the 2024 final.
Surely, Andreeva will rue this defeat—especially given she thoroughly outplayed Gauff for a set bleeding errors from the American’s forehand wing that look wounded early.
The fifth-seeded Andreeva had multiple chances to score a straight-sets win. Gauff was serving down break point at 5-all in the second set when Andreeva pounced all over a short forehand.
Andreeva flagged that forehand into the net so instead of the break, a 6-5 lead and the opportunity to serve for the semifinal, she saw Gauff dig in and hold for 6-5.
In the second-set tiebreaker, the pair went toe-to-toe in a crackling 39 shot exchange—the longest rally of this US Open so far—and Gauff drizzled a deft drop shot to go up 5-3.
Andreeva came right back and when Gauff shoveled a forehand into net she had her first match point at 6-5. Andreeva had a good look at a forehand pass, but instead of making Gauff feel the pressure and make a volley, she sailed it long.
An Andreeva lob set up a second match point at 7-6, but she struck a timid first serve, Gauff jumped on it and drew the error for 7-All.
Credit Gauff for her tactical adjustment. Knowing she wasn’t feeling the ball fully, Gauff attacked behind a backhand and drew the error for a second set point at 8-7.
Going right back on the attack, Gauff streaked to net and drew a netted forehand as Arthur Ashe Stadium fans erupted in a sustained ovation with a third set looming after one hour, 47 minutes.
The skill to shift gears and compete even when her best tennis eludes her and her forehand fails her is one of the essential elements to Gauff’s game.
Clad in pale yellow, Gauff got off to a sloppy start slicing a forehand into net to surrender serve at love.
Andreeva was working over Gauff’s forehand from the outset as she won seven points in a row to open then held at 30 to confirm the break for 2-0.
The fourth-seeded Gauff could not find her groove early. Gauff spit up a double fault and sailed a forehand as Andreeva broke again for a 3-0 lead after just eight minutes of play.
When the reigning Roland Garros champion blasted an ace down the T holding for 4-0 the crowd inside Ashe Stadium went quiet for a moment.
Though Gauff held in the fifth game to get on the board, her forehand failures were mounting.
Targeting the Gauff unruly forehand wing, Andreeva drew a netted forehand return for 30-Love. Gauff had hit nine forehand errors when she yanked a forehand return wide to hand Andreeva set point.
Andreeva darted a serve winner down the T closing the 26-minute opener that saw her serve 58 percent and win 13 of 15 first-set points in the set.
A trip to the semifinal was riding on the third set and Gauff competed with more clarity and conviction.
Across the net, Andreeva’s judgment grew cloud. She hit a meek drop shot tapped what appeared to be a smash drop shot attempt into net to face break point. Gauff again attacked—she was 19 of 28 at net today—made three rapid-fire volleys and elicited a netted forehand breaking for 2-1.
That break empowered the Delray Beach-born baseliner, who confirmed it with a love hold.
By then, Andreeva had crossed the line from disconsolate to downright moody, basically ignoring coach and former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, who was trying to rouse the Russian.
In a complete role reversal, Andreeva’s forehand went AWOL as she committed four errors in a row dropping serve at love to fall behind 2-5.
On her second match point, Gauff closed a compelling comeback and celebrated flipping her racquet aside in triumph.
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