Coco Gauff has transformed her Italian Open run into a nerve-shredding thriller, rallying from a double-break hole against Solana Sierra to charge into the fourth round. She then stared down defeat and saved a match point against fellow American Iva Jovic before surviving another exhausting three-set battle. Now, after watching a 5-1, two-break cushion nearly vanish against No. 8 seed Mirra Andreeva, Gauff finally escaped Rome with her nerves and title hopes still alive.
“I felt when the balls were getting heavy, it was tough,” Coco Gauff said during her post-match press conference after surviving another dramatic battle at the Italian Open.
“There was one game where I just felt like I could not get the return deep. I ended up winning the game. I just felt like I couldn’t get it deep enough in the court. She was k*lling me on the short balls,” Gauff added while explaining the tactical challenges she faced against Mirra Andreeva.
Particularly during the opening set, Gauff frequently looked to finish rallies at the net as both players produced several rapid-fire volley exchanges.
At times, Andreeva cleverly dragged Gauff forward with disguised drop shots that repeatedly disrupted her rhythm. One of the standout moments came when Andreeva executed a perfectly placed drop shot with an awkward bounce to hold serve at love and move ahead 3-1 in the first set.
On other occasions, Gauff intentionally approached the net because her deep groundstrokes were not landing effectively early in the contest. She searched for higher-percentage opportunities closer to the net while trying to break Andreeva’s rhythm.
Andreeva responded brilliantly during several exchanges, often directing shots directly at Gauff near the net or threading passing winners down the line and crosscourt. In the tightly contested first set, Andreeva finished with 10 winners and only seven unforced errors, while Gauff recorded the reverse numbers.
The momentum, however, shifted dramatically in the second set as Gauff began finding greater stability from the baseline. One stretch perfectly captured the intensity of the match, as three straight points at the net saw Gauff save a break point before creating a game point for herself, which she sealed with a powerful ace.
Gauff stormed to a 3-0 lead in the second set and never allowed Andreeva back into control. Although there were still occasional net exchanges, Gauff stayed more disciplined from the baseline, struck cleaner targets, and finished the set with eight winners.
As Gauff raised her level, frustration visibly crept into Andreeva’s game. The young Russian often rushed toward the service line between points and eventually piled up 11 unforced errors in the second set as Gauff forced the match into a deciding third set.
Early in the decider, it looked as though Gauff would cruise to victory after racing to a 5-1 lead with a double break advantage. Carrying momentum from the previous set, she used her speed brilliantly while capitalizing on costly Andreeva mistakes, moving within two points of a dominant 6-1 finish.
The tension exploded late before Gauff finally closed out a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory to advance to the semifinals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia for the fourth time in her career.
The comeback victory marked Coco Gauff’s eighth comeback win at the WTA level in 2026, further highlighting her fighting spirit this season. The achievement pushed her ahead of Mirra Andreeva and Jessica Pegula, who both remain tied on seven comeback victories this year.
The American has also continued climbing elite historical lists with her remarkable consistency at major events. Since 1990, Gauff, aged 22 years and 53 days at the start of the tournament, has become the third-youngest player to reach 15 or more Tier I/WTA-1000 semifinals, behind only Martina Hingis and Maria Sharapova.
Her resilience in Rome has added another rare accomplishment to her growing résumé. Gauff is now only the second player in the Open Era to record three or more comeback wins on the way to the semifinals at the Italian Open, following Nathalie Tauziat, who achieved the feat in 1989.
More importantly, these victories continue strengthening Gauff’s reputation as one of the toughest comeback competitors on the women’s tour.
Coco Gauff admits intense desire for victory creates overwhelming pressure on herself
Coming into her QF clash against Mirra Andreeva, Coco Gauff already knew what it felt like to survive under pressure. In the previous round against Iva Jovic, it was Gauff herself who had to save match points to stay alive in the tournament.
This time, however, the roles reversed completely. Against Andreeva, it was Gauff who found herself trying desperately to close out the match as the tension inside Campo Centrale kept building point after point.
Ultimately, Gauff needed five match points before finally sealing the victory. The dramatic moment arrived when Andreeva’s backhand down the line narrowly missed, allowing relief to pour out of Gauff after an exhausting battle.
Even in victory, though, the emotional pressure Gauff places on herself continues to be visible throughout her matches. Her intense desire to win often creates moments where frustration and self-expectation become impossible to hide.
That pressure was especially noticeable during her earlier match against world No. 72 Solana Sierra. In one widely shared video clip, Gauff struck her head twice in quick succession while walking toward her chair during the set break, showing the emotional toll the contest had taken on her.
The same tension appeared again against Andreeva despite the eventual win. The Russian teenager created several opportunities late in the deciding set, and had she converted them, the outcome of the match could have looked very different.
Reflecting on the intensity she carries onto the court, Gauff admitted, “I’m probably on the side of putting too much pressure on myself. You always want more in sports. At my age, maybe I’ll appreciate things more later, but right now I sometimes put too much pressure on every tournament.”
She later expanded on that mindset by saying, “I want to win everything. I’ve taken a step back and just realized that I’m not going to win every single tournament. I just need to focus on the journey and the process,” the American explained in Rome.
Now, the 2025 Rome finalist moves one step closer to another title opportunity in the Italian capital. Her next challenge will come against Sorana Cîrstea in the semifinals, marking their third meeting of the season and second in consecutive tournaments.
The question now surrounding Gauff is whether she can finally release some of that internal pressure and produce one more composed performance to book her place in the Rome final.
