Coco Gauff saved two match points against Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday at the US Open, rallying for a 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-2 victory on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court to advance to the semi-finals and set up a clash with Elena Rybakina.
The path to the final four required a dramatic escape. Facing the 19-year-old Russian fifth seed, 2023 champion Coco Gauff endured a disastrous opening set that lasted just 26 minutes. Her forehand and serve deserted her as she managed only three winners and committed 14 unforced errors, quickly falling behind against an opponent whose court coverage left the American scrambling.
Mirra Andreeva seized a 4-0 lead in a mere 12 minutes during the first set, converting her early break opportunities and dropping just three points on her own serve. That early dominance allowed the fifth seed to comfortably close out the opening frame while less than half an hour elapsed from the first exchange.
The Turning Point and a Tie-Break Escape
Staring down a straight-sets defeat, Gauff retreated to the locker room between sets. She later credited a mental reset to a surprising source of motivation.
Coco Gauff stated via Sky Sports that she just had to reset, explaining that she came out at the start not feeling the ball and giving her opponent too many free points, noting that Mirra Andreeva was playing at a great level, but adding that when she went to the restroom after the first set, she was honestly thinking about Frances Tiafoe and how he had mounted a comeback the previous day.
The adjustment worked. Gauff increased her aggression, taking risks and pushing forward to the net where she secured 15 points in the second set alone. The match transformed into a grueling physical contest featuring long rallies, heavy spin, slices, and drop shots that galvanized the home crowd on the central court.
Despite the resurgence, Andreeva pushed within two points of victory in the second-set tie-break, holding two match points at 6-5 and 7-6. Gauff erased both—including one at the net—before claiming the tie-break 9-7 to level the match. Frustration boiled over for the teenager from Russia, who hurled her racket toward her chair and inadvertently sent it spinning toward a dodging camera operator, risking a default.
Deciding Set and the Semifinal Lineup
The lost opportunity drained Andreeva’s momentum. In the third game of the decisive set, she dropped her serve after committing four consecutive unforced errors, capped by an errant smash into the net. Gauff coasted through the remainder of the decider, sealing the 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 victory in two hours and 19 minutes.
The win extends Gauff’s head-to-head record against Andreeva to 6-0 and places her in the New York semi-finals for the first time since her 2023 title run. With the victory, she remains in contention for a third career Grand Slam title, following her triumph at Roland-Garros in 2025.
The tournament’s upper half also marked a historic milestone: for the first time since 1975, all four top-seeded players reached the semi-finals of the tournament.
Elena Rybakina Awaits After Claiming the Top Ranking
Standing between Gauff and a place in the final is Elena Rybakina. The 27-year-old from Kazakhstan secured her spot in the semi-finals earlier Wednesday by defeating Qinwen Zheng 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 after dropping her first set of the fortnight.
That victory carried major rankings implications. Rybakina will officially usurp Aryna Sabalenka when the WTA rankings refresh on Monday, ending the Belarusian player’s 99-week reign at world No. 1. Rybakina becomes the first Kazakhstani player, man or woman, to claim the top spot.
Elena Rybakina remarked via Sky Sports that it is just a number right now, noting that she is only in the semi-finals and that her goal is to win every tournament she plays, while expressing her feeling that she simply needs to focus on her game and enjoy the following day.
While a victory for Gauff in New York would have given her a chance at the top ranking herself, Rybakina’s progression blocked that path. The other semifinal features Jessica Pegula facing Sabalenka, setting up a heavyweight finish as the tournament enters its final weekend.
