Coco Gauff battled past Belinda Bencic to reach the semi-finals of the Miami Open for the first time in her career.
The 22-year-old, ranked fourth in the world, secured a hard-fought 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory in two hours and 15 minutes after being pushed to a deciding set by the Swiss 12th seed.
Gauff’s achievement also sees her become the youngest American to reach the tournament’s semi-finals since Serena Williams in 2004 the same year she was born.
Reflecting on the win, Gauff said her composure in key moments made the difference. “It was a tough match. It took a lot of running, some falls, but I’m really proud of how I fought,” she said.
The American had previously fallen short at the last-16 stage in Miami in 2022, 2024 and 2025, making this breakthrough even more significant.
She will now face Karolina Muchova for a place in the final after the Czech defeated Victoria Mboko in straight sets.
A place in the final could also have major ranking implications, with Gauff set to move up to world number three ahead of Iga Swiatek if she advances.
Elsewhere, Elena Rybakina booked a quarter-final clash with Jessica Pegula, while defending champion Aryna Sabalenka is set to take on Hailey Baptiste.
