Back in January, Coco Gauff boldly declared, “I think when I’m playing confident tennis, that’s my best tennis. It makes it hard for her or anyone to really do anything.” That confidence paid off as she secured a straight-sets win over Iga Świątek in the United Cup final, leading Team USA to the title. Since then, both WTA aces have experienced mixed fortunes, especially Gauff, who even endured early exits during the Middle East swing.

But fast forward to Madrid, the tables have turned. Now, into the SF and despite their history on court, the American is brimming with belief once again ahead of her highly anticipated rematch against the Polish. Curious to know what she said? 

The 4th seed Coco Gauff continued her impressive run at the Madrid clay by defeating teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva in the QF. The former US Open champion delivered a convincing performance to secure a 7-5, 6-1 victory in just 1 hour and 32 minutes. Gauff’s dominance, especially in the second set, showed her growing confidence as she advanced to the SF of the WTA 1000 event in the Spanish capital.

Meanwhile, defending champion Iga Swiatek overcame a shaky start to keep her title defense alive. The 2nd seed bounced back after a first-set bagel against Madison Keys, pulling off a remarkable 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 comeback. Swiatek’s resilience on her favored clay surface now sets up a mouthwatering SF clash with her long-time rival, Coco Gauff.

Speaking at the post-match interview with Tennis Channel, Coco said, “I mean, she’s obviously tough on clay, on any surface, but especially on clay. The last two times we played were on hard court so again, I’m going to approach it like a different kind of match and different meetup. But hopefully I can go out there and play great tennis like I did today,”

Gauff subtly issued a warning to the Polish while adding, “I feel like I have a good chance to win. Overall, I think it’s just I’m getting better with each match. I feel like today was back to the level I was playing earlier this year, and I’m super excited to play tomorrow and match up my game against one of the best in the world.”

This will mark the 15th tour-level meeting between the American Gauff and the Polish Swiatek. Although the Pole leads their H2H 11-3, the tide has been shifting. Gauff lost their first 7 encounters without winning a single set, but finally broke through with a win in Cincinnati last year. Since then, she’s defeated Swiatek twice, including their United Cup match earlier this year. However, Gauff is still chasing her 1st win over the 5-time Grand Slam champion on clay.

Looking ahead, Gauff expressed optimism for the upcoming showdown while also analyzing her latest win over the talented Andreeva.

Gauff shared her honest opinion after winning against Mirra Andreeva

4th seed Coco Gauff pulled off an impressive turnaround to secure a dominant QF win over Mirra Andreeva at the Mutua Madrid Open. After falling behind 5-4 and facing double set point, Gauff flipped the script with a crucial backhand winner that shifted the momentum entirely. She clawed her way back into the set, eventually winning it 7-5 with aggressive baseline play and mental resilience.

In the 2nd set, Gauff, who lost her doubles match before this tie, was nearly untouchable on serve, winning 15 straight points until reaching match point at 5-1, 40-0. Dropping just one point from there, she sealed the victory with authority and shared her candid thoughts on the win soon after. “Off the ground I think I was dictating most of the rallies, so happy with that. For sure [my] movement, and serving well, so, yeah, overall happy with everything.” She added. Later, the 4th seed also stated what helped her win the tie. 

“I didn’t really change the way I played. I think it was just finally those break points were coming my direction, whereas before earlier in the set I had so many opportunities, but it just wasn’t clicking,” Coco said.

With her victory over the Russian, Coco Gauff earned the 25th Top 10 win of her career, an incredible milestone. At just 21, she also becomes the youngest player to reach this feat since Ana Ivanovic did so in 2008. Gauff’s run to the semifinals in Madrid also makes her the 2nd-youngest to make the final four at both Madrid and Rome, behind only Caroline Wozniacki.

Now, all eyes are on her high-stakes clash against second seed Iga Swiatek. Can Gauff ride this wave of momentum, defy the odds on clay, and punch her ticket to the final?