Coco Gauff had to shed a lot of sweat to get past Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open semifinal on March 25, and she referenced one of her previous matches to disclose where her never-give-up mentality stems from.

Despite having a strong start to the match, Bencic recovered well and pocketed the second set 6-1. However, Gauff had the last laugh as she won the final set 6-3 to seal the deal. After her victory, she also recollected her 2019 Miami Open match against Catherine McNally, which subjected her to a similar test.

Those are the matches that Gauff credits for her "keep going" mindset. Speaking to the Tennis Channel, she said, "Oh my gosh, I remember that match. It was against my friend Catherine McNally. I think I was down 4–2 in the third in that match, so similar to today. I guess that’s the motto of my career: just keep going."

She added, “You never know—get through one tough match, and the next thing you know you’re in the semis, the finals, or winning the trophy.”

With this win, Coco Gauff became the youngest American to reach the women’s singles semifinals at the Miami Open since Serena Williams did it in 2004, the same year Gauff was born.

However, it wasn’t an easy match. Gauff came out strong, breaking Belinda Bencic early and dominating the first set with sharp net play, winning all eight of her net points and closing it out in 51 minutes.

The final set brought all the drama. Gauff fell behind early and showed some frustration, but she stayed composed, broke back at 3-3, and mixed powerful serves with smart shot choices, including a key drop shot.

However, it remains to be seen whether Gauff can maintain her winning form in her next outing, the Miami Open semis.

Coco Gauff Stays Cautious Despite Dominant Head-to-Head Edge

As Coco Gauff chases her first Miami Open title, she faces Karolína Muchová in the semifinals with a perfect 5-0 head-to-head record.

Even with that record, Gauff isn’t taking anything for granted. “Every time I play her, I don’t really think about the head-to-head because she’s so tough,” she said ahead of their matchup.

“Our match in Australia, she played so well, and I was able to get through it. I expect it to be another tough match. I feel like the head-to-head doesn’t really reflect the quality of the matches. We’ve had a lot that could have gone either way,” she added.

She also pointed to her experience against Iga Świątek, saying, “I’ve had a tough head-to-head against Iga Świątek too, and that can turn around at any moment. So I don’t focus on that.”

If Coco Gauff makes it to the final, she’ll move up to No. 3 in the WTA rankings, passing Świątek in the process. So, do you think Coco Gauff’s past success over Karolína Muchová really matters, or is this semifinal a completely different challenge?

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Written by

Sauramita Debbarma

Edited by

Souvik Roy