Coco Gauff Advances to Miami Open Semi-Final
American No. 4 seed Coco Gauff secured a hard-fought victory over Belinda Bencic with a scoreline of 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in the quarter-final round of the Miami Open. This win marks Gauff's first appearance in the semi-finals of her hometown tournament.
Gauff is set to face 13th seed Karolína Muchová for a place in the final.
Gauff’s Mental Resilience Amid Physical Challenges
Despite contending with an unfamiliar arm injury, inconsistent form, and the pressure of modifying her serve under public scrutiny, Gauff’s determination remains unwavering. Her mental toughness has been a key factor in her progression through the Miami Open draw, culminating in her best performance at this event to date.
She overcame Bencic in a demanding three-set match, demonstrating resilience despite not consistently playing at her peak this year. Notably, all four of her matches in Miami have extended to a deciding set.
“I think it just shows my mind and it’s just all about mentality out there at the end of the day,” said Gauff. “I think I have to believe that I belong where I am. I think sometimes I can get imposter syndrome and even when they’re saying my accomplishments during the warm-up, it doesn’t feel like me, and I’m like, ‘Oh, I actually do have a good career’. But it doesn’t feel like that sometimes in the moment, because you’re just working on things.
“Especially with my serve, it just feels like I shouldn’t be where I am. But tennis doesn’t lie, the ball doesn’t lie, so I just have to believe in myself, and my coach has been reminding me: ‘Remember who you are, and you’re a good player.’ They’ve been putting that into my head. At moments I believe in it, at moments I don’t. So I’m just trying to believe it more.”
Gauff’s performance against Bencic was her most impressive of the tournament. She displayed exceptional retrieval skills and took control from defensive positions, using varied tactics including effective drop shots to outmaneuver Bencic in intense baseline rallies.
Serve Adjustments and Injury Management
Gauff’s serve has been under close observation following recent difficulties, leading her to alter her service motion with guidance from Gavin Macmillan, a biomechanics coach known for assisting Aryna Sabalenka in improving her serve. Despite the changes, Gauff delivered a solid serving performance in this match, recording six aces and maintaining key first serves, while committing only five double faults over three sets.
Although Gauff grew up and resides near Miami in Delray Beach, the Miami Open had previously been her least successful WTA 1000 event, as it was the only tournament at this level where she had not reached the quarter-finals. Several factors cast doubt on her ability to improve this year, including a right forearm injury that forced her to retire from Indian Wells and advice from her team suggesting she might skip Miami despite its significance to her.
Gauff, known for her physically demanding style of play, had enjoyed a largely injury-free career until this point. The injury sustained at Indian Wells necessitated her first-ever MRI scan, which revealed some nerve damage.
“It was the first time I had to take an MRI. MRIs are expensive,” she said with a laugh. “And that’s what I feel like a coffin would feel like. It was very weird. I felt claustrophobic so I definitely don’t want to go in one of those again.”
She described the injury as "a nerve thing" and acknowledged experiencing occasional pain during the tournament, including in the match against Bencic. Nevertheless, she has managed to endure a series of demanding matches and secure victories.
Upcoming Match and Tournament Context
Gauff’s next opponent is Karolína Muchová, the 13th seed and recent winner of the WTA 1000 event in Doha. Muchová advanced to the semi-finals by narrowly defeating 10th seed Victoria Mboko 7-5, 7-6(5). Despite Muchová’s current strong form, Gauff holds a 5-0 head-to-head lead against her.
In other tournament news, Aryna Sabalenka, the No. 1 seed and recent Indian Wells champion, continues her pursuit of the Sunshine Double as she prepares to face American Hailey Baptiste. Additionally, a significant quarter-final match between third seed Elena Rybakina and fifth seed Jessica Pegula will determine another finalist.
Men’s Tournament Highlights
In the men’s draw, Jannik Sinner extended his record for consecutive sets won at Masters 1000 events to 28 by narrowly defeating Alex Michelsen 7-5, 7-6(4) in the fourth round. Sinner is also aiming to achieve the Sunshine Double and will face a resurgent Frances Tiafoe in the quarter-finals.
Spanish 20-year-old Martin Landaluce continued his breakthrough performance by overcoming match points to defeat 32nd seed Sebastian Korda, who had previously defeated Carlos Alcaraz, with a score of 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-4.
Another notable performance came from Arthur Fils, the 21-year-old French player returning from an eight-month injury hiatus. Seeded 28th, Fils reached the quarter-finals after a gritty 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4 victory over 24th seed Valentin Vacherot.
