Coco Gauff is back on the hunt for her best tennis, and the Mutua Madrid Open might just be where she finds it again. The American had kicked off 2025 with a bang, winning nine straight matches and leading Team USA to the United Cup title. That hot streak carried her into the Australian Open quarterfinals. But since then, it’s been a little rocky, with a 14-6 win-loss record and just five match wins in three months. Now, she’s feeling the spark again. Gauff started her clay-court season in Stuttgart, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to Jasmine Paolini. And reaching the fourth round at the Madrid Open has only built on that. She’s keen to make a deep run here, but her next challenge looks like a tough one. So, how is she going to tackle this one?
After a shaky start in her opening match, the 21-year-old showed serious grit against Dayana Yastremska. She dropped the first set 0-6 but came roaring back to take the next two sets 6-2, 7-5. Moving on, Gauff faced fellow American Ann Li in the third round. Things didn’t exactly start smoothly. She fell behind 2-0 early, but in true Coco fashion, she flipped the script fast. Gauff rattled off six straight games to snatch the first set 6-2. In the second set, she let an early break slip but didn’t panic, quickly breaking again to regain control. She stayed solid from there, wrapping up a 6-2, 6-3 win and booking her spot in the fourth round.
That’s where Belinda Bencic waits. The 28-year-old eased through her first match, hammering Zeynep Sonmez 6-0, 6-2. She had to work a bit harder against 20th seed Clara Tauson but still pulled out a 7-5, 7-5 win. Then came the third round, where Bencic took on 16th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia. It was a battle, but the Swiss star got it done 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (2).
Gauff knows exactly what she’s walking into on Monday. Speaking to Tennis Channel about facing Bencic next, she said, “We had a tough match at Indian Wells, and she played some good tennis. I think just overall, just being ready for her. She is a solid baseliner, being ready for her. To be aggressive and play some balls. But I think also just playing my game and trying to play with height, play with heaviness, and being physical.”
Their rivalry is all tied up at two wins each, with three of their four matches going the distance. Their most recent clash came at Indian Wells, where Bencic edged out Gauff 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. That match was actually a rematch of their Australian Open showdown, where Gauff came out on top. Now, they’ll face off on clay for the first time, adding another layer of intrigue to this already tight rivalry.
But that’s not the only court the former US Open champion has been busy on.
Coco Gauff is seeing double on the court
Coco Gauff is back playing doubles for the first time since the 2024 Paris Olympics. Last year, she and Jessica Pegula fell in the second round to the Czech pair Muchova and Noskova. After that, both Gauff and Pegula decided to focus more on singles. As Pegula put it, “Doing well in the singles court, we obviously didn’t want to play as much anymore.”
Now, the American tennis starlet is back with a new partner, compatriot Robin Montgomery. And they’re making waves already. On Friday, they played their first doubles match of the season at the Madrid Open, taking on the American team of Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk. Gauff and Montgomery came out firing, grabbing the first set 6-3. They cranked it up another notch in the second set, storming through 6-0 to wrap up the match in straight sets.
In the R16 round on Sunday, the duo again showed off their brilliance against Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez to win 6-4,6-3. They will next face the dynamic duo of Victoria Azarenka and Ashlyn Krueger on Tuesday.
It’s another chance for the 21-year-old to build momentum—not just in singles but in doubles too. Gauff has a lot on her plate this week, but she’s showing she’s up for the challenge. Will she be able to juggle both and keep her title hopes alive in Madrid?
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