Remember when Coco Gauff said, “I’m not playing it. It does change my routine. It’s nice to have an off day, a real off day,” after her gritty 3rd-round win over Elina Svitolina at last year’s US Open? Back then, she seemed to be stepping back from doubles, despite once dreaming of a career Grand Slam, especially after capturing the 2024 French Open doubles title with Kateřina Siniaková. Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula, her longtime partner and Olympic teammate, has surged ahead in singles rankings. But in a surprise twist, Coco recently made a stylish return to doubles in Madrid with a familiar face: Robin Montgomery. And get this, she now credits her hairstyle for saving her from a scary mishap on the clay in a doubles clash. But wait! What went down in Madrid, though?

On Tuesday, April 29, at the WTA 1000 event in Madrid, Coco Gauff and Robin Montgomery faced off against Victoria Azarenka and Ashlyn Krueger in the women’s doubles QFs. Midway through the 9th game of the first set, with Azarenka and Krueger up 5-3 and the score at 15-15, a mishap unfolded. Montgomery fired a powerful left-handed serve that accidentally struck Gauff squarely on the back of her head.

Fortunately, Coco took the incident in stride, flashing a reassuring smile and sharing a warm embrace with her partner before play resumed. However, a surprising development followed the match’s conclusion; Gauff playfully attributed her recovery to an unforeseen benefactor.

 Just moments ago, Coco Gauff took to her IG to share a lighthearted video reposted from a tennis fan page called “Tennis Fanaticss”. The video captured the funny mishap during her doubles match, with the caption: “Montgomery hits back her partner Coco Gauff in the back 😭.” Coco couldn’t resist chiming in with her playful comment, writing, “lolll thank God for my braids taking most of the blow lol.” The incident, while alarming at first glance, clearly didn’t rattle the young star’s sense of humor.

Unfortunately, the match itself didn’t unfold in their favor. Gauff and her close friend Robin Montgomery were defeated in straight sets by the team of Victoria Azarenka and Ashlyn Krueger. After narrowly losing the first set in a tiebreaker, things unraveled in the second set as the American duo went down 6-3. The stats told a tough story: six double faults and only 58 percent of first-serve points won, ultimately sealing their early exit from the doubles competition.

However, despite the double disappointment, Gauff’s singles campaign is telling a different story. She has stormed into the Madrid Open SF for the first time in her career, showcasing her resilience and top-tier form.

Coco Gauff rates her performance after beating Mirra Andreeva at Madrid

Fourth seed Coco Gauff achieved a remarkable comeback to secure her spot in the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open with a dominant victory over seventh seed Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday. Notably, Gauff has faced Andreeva twice in her career before Madrid, with both of their previous matches occurring in 2023, at the French Open and the US Open, with an American win. Gauff was victorious on both occasions. After trailing by a break at 5-4 in the opening set and facing two set points, Gauff flipped the script with poise and power. The American ace surged through nine of the next ten games to seal a convincing 7-5, 6-1 victory in just 1 hour and 32 minutes.

It was the 21-year-old Gauff who ultimately outlasted Andreeva, who had just celebrated her 18th birthday the day before, demonstrating both resilience and experience. With this win, Coco reaches her ninth WTA 1000 SF and her third on clay. Her previous two semifinal appearances on clay came in Rome in 2021 and 2024, where she was stopped by none other than Iga Swiatek.

Speaking after the match, Gauff reflected confidently on her performance. “Definitely, like, a nine,” she said during her on-court interview when asked to rate her match out of ten. “I think I played really well and was able to stay composed even when I was facing set points, so I’m really happy with how I played today,” She continued, “I had that tough match in the first round, and even though it was tough, I feel like it really prepared me. It kind of woke me up, and I’ve been able to keep doing better, and hopefully I can keep going all the way to the end,”

Up next is a familiar challenge, arguably the most compelling rivalry currently on the women’s tour, as Gauff prepares to face top seed Iga Swiatek for the 15th time. Swiatek holds a commanding 11-3 lead in their H2H record and is 5-0 on clay, having won all five of those encounters in straight sets. However, Madrid offers a new battleground; they’ve never faced off here before. 

With the stakes higher than ever, who will seize the spotlight this time? Share your thoughts below!