Coco Gauff continued her dominant run at the 2026 Australian Open with a big win over Olga Danilovic. She moved one step closer to her maiden title in Melbourne. The scoreline (6-2, 6-2) showcased a story of control. But it was Gauff’s playful revelation that she had taken a leaf out of Carlos Alcaraz’s game book that stole the spotlight.

“Honestly, the drop shot is always a bad idea in my head, and then I make it, and I’m like ‘Oh ok, that was good,’” Gauff told her close friend Chris Eubanks after winning the second round. “I saw Carlos yesterday, and I was like, ‘I’m trying to drop shot like him.’ In my first match, I won like 7 drop shot points, which I don’t think I’ve ever done. And today I won all of them that I did. It’s a good shot until I miss it.”

Even more amusing was Gauff’s admission that she ignored her coach’s advice when the pressure was highest.

“My coach said don’t drop shot on pressure points,” Gauff revealed. “I think almost every time I drop shotted today was on a pressure, and it worked.”

With this win, the World No. 3 added another impressive achievement to her resume.

Since 2022, Coco Gauff (14-0) is one of the four players, along with Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Elina Svitolina, to have an unbeaten record in the second round at women’s singles Grand Slams (minimum 10 appearances).

Gauff will now face her compatriot Hailey Baptiste in the third round. This will be their second meeting and the first since 2023. The World No. 3 looks in red-hot form at the moment. She has now won 39 consecutive Grand Slam matches after taking the first set. Her last loss in that scenario came to Amanda Anisimova at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.

As she continues her march in Melbourne, Gauff’s blend of confidence, creativity, and composure is becoming increasingly evident. And if borrowing a page from Alcaraz’s game book keeps delivering results, it may just be another reason her AO dream looks more realistic than ever.

But do you know, as per a former pro, Gauff and Alcaraz also share an incredible characteristic?

Former WTA pro draws comparison between Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz’s “incredible mentality”

Coco Gauff’s rise to the top of women’s tennis has often been linked to her physical tools and shot-making, but former WTA pro Andrea Petkovic believes her biggest strength lies elsewhere. Ahead of Gauff’s AO campaign, Petkovic drew an interesting comparison between the American star and Alcaraz.

“I honestly think it’s amazing with Coco, similar to Carlos Alcaraz, that they can have that day where they just have so much trouble, but they have this incredible mentality to still fight through,” she said on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast.

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Petkovic referenced Gauff’s contrasting performances at the United Cup to underline her point.

“Coco had a really tough time against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, served 13 double faults, a lot of unforced errors,” Petkovic continued. “But then just three days later, she played one of the best matches I’ve ever seen her play against Iga Swiatek. I kind of love that you have these surprise packages with Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff.”

Even Stubbs echoed that sentiment, comparing both players to a “box of chocolates.”

In the past, Gauff herself has openly admitted to drawing inspiration from Alcaraz’s outlook on the sport. Last year, during her breakthrough run to the French Open SF, she revealed she was trying to adopt the Spaniard’s “philosophy” of enjoying tennis and life more.

That mindset paid off in spectacular fashion. Gauff went on to win the French Open, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling final to become the first American woman to lift the trophy since Serena Williams in 2015. Alcaraz, fittingly, also claimed the men’s singles title, making the parallel between the two.

Their mutual admiration extends beyond the court. Gauff publicly congratulated the Spaniard after his Roland Garros triumph, while fans were quick to recall their shared moments off the tour, most notably their trip to Beijing in 2024, when they explored the Forbidden City before winning the China Open titles.

Neither has won the Australian Open title. But both have secured their spot in the third round. Whether they win or not, the fans are guaranteed an exciting match.