With the French Open just over two weeks away, defending champion Coco Gauff is doing what she does best: scrapping for every win. The 22-year-old American clawed her way to a third straight comeback victory on Tuesday, defeating world No. 7 Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the Italian Open quarterfinals. Gauff surged to a 5-1 lead in the final set, but needed five match points to close out the win and improve to 5-0 against the young Russian.
"Honestly, it was tough," Gauff said in her post-match press conference. "I know when I play her, she can play great tennis at any moment. But I was also thinking, I saved a match point in the last round, so I could easily not be here today. I was just trying to appreciate being here, even if those match points weren't going my way. I think it showed in my reaction every time I lost them."
The victory sends Gauff to the Italian Open semifinals for the fourth time in her career and third consecutive year. It was also a triumph over a player who shares much in common with the American—both possess superb defensive skills and prodigious talent that emerged at a young age. And both are strong contenders for the Roland Garros title next month, joining a group that includes fellow Italian Open quarterfinalists Elena Rybakina and Iga Świątek, as well as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
But beyond their on-court brilliance, Gauff and Andreeva are navigating a shared challenge: learning to get out of their own way. Both have been winning plenty of matches lately, but their paths have been marked by mental and technical struggles, especially when holding a lead. For Andreeva, the mental and emotional side of the game has wavered far more than her tennis. The 19-year-old has enjoyed a strong clay-court swing, capturing the Upper Austria Ladies Linz Open title on indoor clay and reaching the Madrid Open final in both singles and doubles. Yet her run has been peppered with public bouts of self-doubt, and she has spoken openly about how disruptive her untamed emotions can be during matches.
As the tennis world turns its eyes to Paris, the question isn't just about who has the best strokes—it's about who can quiet the noise in their own head. For Gauff and Andreeva, that might be the toughest opponent of all.