There is always something special about reaching the semis at the All-England Club, and for Coco Gauff, doing it for the first time made it even sweeter. The former world No. 2 got there on Tuesday by beating her former doubles partner, Jessica Pegula. And after the match, the 22-year-old delivered the perfect response to the fans who had waited eagerly to watch her play.

“I am really enjoying the process of being here playing at Wimbledon, so special in front of you guys, which makes it even more special,” Coco said in her post-match interview.

“Thank you for coming out and supporting us and waiting for many hours, even to see us play and sometimes days. I think I always work hard, try my best on the court, but for me, it gives me a little bit more motivation because there are so many people who put their lives aside to watch me play,” she explained later. 

On Centre Court, Coco Gauff’s SW19 run just keeps getting bigger, and with it, increases the significance of what she is building at the Championships.

Her quarterfinal win over a fellow American, which lasted 1 hour and 48 minutes, pushed the two-time major champion into a very exclusive Grand Slam club.

With that win today, the 22-year-old became the seventh active WTA player to reach the semifinals or better at all 4 Grand Slam tournaments during her career, joining Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Karolina Pliskova, Aryna Sabalenka, and Iga Swiatek on that list.

Before the win today, Gauff had arrived at Wimbledon without a single grass-court win in the previous two years.

Jessica Pegula has long carried a reputation for thriving on quicker and slicker grass courts in Europe. But the former US Open champion changed the shape of the match. 

And while Coco made sure to soak in the support and thank the fans after the win, the challenge waiting in the next round will be far more demanding for her.

Coco Gauff to face Naomi Osaka or Karolina Muchova for a place in the SW19 final

Coco Gauff had already shown her fighting qualities earlier in the tournament too, coming from a set down to defeat 29-year-old Belinda Bencic in the Round of 16. Today’s win over the fellow American also brought another major milestone. In her previous six Wimbledon appearances, Gauff had never gone beyond the fourth round. 

With the win safely in the bag, the American ace made it clear just how much the result meant to her after a difficult build-up on grass this season. “Considering I hadn’t won a match on grass in two years before this tournament … I’m definitely just really happy with how I played today,” Coco said in the post-match interview. 

“Jess is an incredible opponent and person, playing against her is never easy. I’m just happy to get through this one today,” Coco explained.

Now, though, her focus shifts to the semifinal, where she will face either Naomi Osaka or Karolína Muchová, who were set to play later on Court 1. Against the Japanese four-time Grand Slam winner, Coco has met her six times, with a 3-3 H2H, while against the Czech, she has played seven matches, with Coco holding the edge with 6-1.

With a place in the final now on the line, the next test will be massive for the American. And it also raises the big question: can the two-time Grand Slam winner finally break through on grass and turn this run into a Wimbledon title charge?