Coco Gauff advanced to the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time following a hard-fought victory over Belinda Bencic on Sunday.
Gauff, seeded seventh in south-west London, defeated last year’s Wimbledon semi-finalist 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Centre Court.
The American will now play compatriot Jessica Pegula for a spot in the Wimbledon semi-finals.
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Gauff’s performance was incredibly impressive, especially when considering how effective Bencic has been on grass courts over the past few years.
Gauff also achieved another impressive milestone, equalling Serena Williams in one particular statistical area.
Coco Gauff has won 84 Grand Slam matches before the age of 23
Gauff does not turn 23 years old until March 13, 2027.
The American superstar, who first made a name for herself seven years ago when she defeated Venus Williams at Wimbledon, has now won 84 major matches before turning 23 years old.
As per statisticians OptaAce, only Maria Sharapova has won more Grand Slam women’s singles matches than Coco Gauff before turning 23 years old, since the year 2000.
Sharapova, a former world number one, won three of her five Grand Slam titles before turning 23 on April 19, 2010.
Grand Slam wins before the age of 23 [since 2000]
- Maria Sharapova – 92
- Coco Gauff – 84
- Serena Williams – 84
- Kim Clijsters – 81
- Justine Henin – 75
By winning 84 Grand Slam matches before the age of 23, Gauff has equalled the total of Serena Williams.
Williams also won 84 matches before that age, capturing six major singles titles in the process.
Gauff will overtake Williams’ total if she defeats Jessica Pegula on Tuesday.
The winner of Gauff and Pegula will play either Naomi Osaka or Karolina Muchova in the Wimbledon semi-finals.
‘One of my best grass-court matches ever’
“It was, I think, a high-quality match from both of us,” Gauff stated during her post-match press conference after beating Bencic on Sunday.
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“It was a thriller, honestly.
“I think this was so far my best match of the tournament, probably one of my best grass matches ever. I’m definitely proud with the level I brought today.”
“Yeah, I thought today I was hitting my forehand a lot better, being aggressive with it at moments,” she later added.
“Honestly, playing someone like her on grass is not sometimes the best matchup for me. Super flat hitter. The grass just enhances it more.
“I think it definitely gives me confidence knowing I can. I feel like a lot of the baseline exchanges I was winning. It wasn’t all me defending, things like that.
“I feel like today gave me a lot of confidence. Even if I did lose the match, I still think I would have walked away with some confidence.
“She made the semis here last year. This is a tournament she’s pretty comfortable at.”
