Coco Gauff rallied from a set down and overcame 10 double faults to defeat fellow American Madison Keys 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1 on Wednesday, securing her spot in the French Open semifinals for the third time. The match, played under a closed roof on a damp, chilly day at Court Philippe-Chatrier, was marked by a flurry of errors — the two former Grand Slam champions combined for 101 unforced errors and just 40 winners across two gritty hours.
“I was just trying to fight for every point,” said Gauff, who lifted her arms in triumph after the final shot. The No. 2 seed and reigning US Open champion had a shaky start, falling behind 4-1 in the first set and flirting with a deeper deficit before regaining momentum. Despite three double faults in the first-set tiebreak, Gauff’s trademark speed and resilience began to wear down Keys, the 2025 Australian Open winner.
Gauff cleaned up her play in the second set and dominated the third, stretching rallies and forcing Keys into repeated errors. “With her ability to cover the court,” Keys admitted, “you’re going to have to win the point multiple times before it’s actually over.”
Statistically, Gauff’s victory was historic. She improved to 4-0 at Roland Garros when dropping the first set but winning the second — tying Elina Svitolina for the best such mark since 2019, according to ESPN Research. At just 21, Gauff also became the youngest woman since Martina Hingis (1995–2000) to earn 25 main-draw wins at the French Open.
In Thursday’s semifinal, Gauff will face the winner of the Mirra Andreeva vs. Lois Boisson match. Gauff holds a 4-0 career record against Andreeva, including two victories in 2025, but has never faced the French wild card Boisson, ranked No. 361. Tennis fans are watching closely to see whether Andreeva — often touted as one of the rising stars in Andreeva tennis circles — can prevail in the Andreeva vs Boisson clash to set up a high-profile showdown.
“I have a lot more work left to do,” Gauff said, “but I’m going to savor this one today.”
