Coco Gauff matches Serena Williams feat with legacy-building win in US Open Round of 16
Coco Gauff played her best match of the 2026 US Open on Monday, Sept. 7. She earned a convincing 6-1, 6-4 win over Iva Jovic.All facets of Gauff's tennis game are peaking right now: serving, returning, shotmaking and the trademark athleticism she always possesses on the court.AdvertisementWith the win, Gauff becomes the youngest American, at age 22, to reach three Grand Slam quarterfinals in one year since Serena Williams did it as a 21-year-old in 2003. The only one Gauff did not make was the French Open, where in an effort to defend her 2025 title, she lost in the third round.MORE: WTA World No. 1 race intensifies with Elena Rybakina R4 US Open winGauff vs. Mirra Andreeva quarterfinalIt will be the battle of young players with Gauff being the elder stateswoman over Mirra Andreeva, who is 19.Gauff vs. Andreeva pits the last two French Open champions against each other on hardcourt.September 7, 2026; New York, United States; Coco Gauff of the U.S. in action during her round of 16 match against Iva Jovic of the U.S. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn ImagesAdvertisementMaking the matchup more interesting is the fact that Gauff has never lost to Andreeva in five previous meetings.Four of those meetings were on clay.MORE: Wimbledon announces 2027 plan pertaining to credentials for content creatorsWomen's draw is stackedFive Grand Slam champions: Andreeva, Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Linda Noskova and Elena Rybakina are in the final eight. Olympic champion and 2026 US Open qualifier Qinwen Zheng is also in the impressive group. Americans Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro round out the quarterfinal group.Gauff, Sabalenka, Pegula and Rybakina are in a race for the WTA World No. 1 ranking. Rybakina controls her destiny with a semifinal appearance at the US Open. If she does not advance, Gauff, Sabalenka or Pegula will earn it if they are crowned the US Open champion on Sept. 12.
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