Martina Navratilova Left Stunned by Coco Gauff’s Escape at US Open

Coco Gauff is the final member of the top four seeds to book her place in the 2026 US Open semifinals, but she had to survive a major scare against fifth seed Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday. The American star was pushed to the brink, saving two match points before mounting an incredible comeback to seal her place in the last four.

The dramatic turnaround had the tennis world talking, with Martina Navratilova and Rennae Stubbs among the high-profile figures reacting to Gauff's resilience.

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Coco Gauff Refuses to Lose Against Mirra Andreeva at US Open 2026

Gauff, the 2026 Cincinnati Open champion, has extended her winning streak to 11 matches after booking her place in the US Open semifinals. The fourth seed made a dominant start to her campaign at the Grand Slam, cruising through her first four opponents — Zeynep Sönmez, Paula Badosa, Cristina Bucsa, and Iva Jovic — without dropping a single set.

Her quarterfinal clash against reigning French Open champion Mirra Andreeva, however, was a completely different story. Gauff got off to a shaky start, dropping the opening set 6-2 in less than half an hour. The second set was a fierce battle, with the players trading four breaks of serve before eventually heading into a tiebreak.

Andreeva had a couple of chances to close out the match, but Gauff responded with remarkable determination to save both match points. The American eventually clawed her way out of trouble and snatched the set 7-6(7). She then turned the tables on her Russian opponent in the deciding set, racing to a two-break advantage before sealing a 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 victory in two hours and 19 minutes.

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Her stunning turnaround drew widespread applause from the tennis community. 18-time Grand Slam singles champion Martina Navratilova, who had tipped Iga Świątek to win the title and Naomi Osaka as her dark horse, was left impressed by Gauff's remarkable escape from elimination.

"The great escape- wow!!! What a fighter!" she wrote on X.

Meanwhile, former doubles World No. 1 and Serena Williams' coach, Rennae Stubbs, said, "You can't teach heart and resiliency. @CocoGauff has it in spades."

Speaking during her on-court interview, Coco Gauff revealed that compatriot Frances Tiafoe played a role in her incredible comeback. On Tuesday, September 8, Tiafoe produced a stunning escape of his own against Alex Michelsen, overcoming a two-set deficit and surviving a tense fifth-set tiebreak to seal the win.

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"I think I just had to reset. I came out not feeling the ball, giving her too many free points. Mirra was playing a great level, but in the restroom, honestly, I was thinking about Frances Tiafoe and how he came back yesterday," she said.

The 2023 champion thanked the crowd while adding, "We all want to do well in front of this crowd, so. Honestly, I was just trying to literally leave the court with no regrets. I didn't know how the outcome would come."

Gauff's victory completed an all-top-four-seed semifinal lineup at the 2026 US Open, with Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, and Jessica Pegula advancing to the last four. It is the first time since Wimbledon 2009 that the top four seeds have all reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam, while the US Open has not seen the feat since 1975.

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Gauff, bidding for her third Grand Slam title, will take on newly minted live World No. 1 Elena Rybakina for a place in the final on Thursday, September 10.

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