Coco Gauff has punched her ticket to a maiden Wimbledon semi-final, rallying from a shaky start to outlast fellow American Jessica Pegula in a gripping three-set battle.
The 22-year-old two-time Grand Slam champion had never escaped the fourth round at the All England Club before this year – and famously crashed out in the first round in 2025.
But against world number four Pegula – the highest-ranked player remaining in the draw – Gauff flipped the script, prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
The win makes Gauff the youngest woman to reach the semi-finals at all four Grand Slams since Maria Sharapova accomplished the feat at Roland Garros in 2007.
It wasn’t pretty early on. The seventh seed sprayed 17 unforced errors and served up four double faults in a sloppy opening set.
But in a tournament-defining pattern, she dug deep once again – becoming the first woman in 30 years to reach the Wimbledon semis by winning four three-set matches in a single campaign.
After the match, Gauff cracked a smile about the pre-tournament doubts.
“I think a lot of people had me going out in the first or second round,” she joked. “After seven years playing here, this is the first time I’ve walked onto Centre Court and not felt nervous. Am I becoming a veteran already?”
Up next, she’ll face the winner of Naomi Osaka versus Karolina Muchova for a spot in Saturday’s final.
For Pegula, it was a tale of what-ifs. She forced three break points early in the second set but couldn’t convert – and watched the momentum swing when Gauff broke her to love. Gauff then held her nerve, fighting back from 0-30 to serve out the set and level the match.
The final set seesawed until Gauff elevated her game at the crunch moments. After Pegula broke back to make it 3-3, Gauff responded immediately to go 4-3 up and sealed the win on her first match point.
The loss extends Pegula’s agonising wait for a maiden major singles title – and leaves her wondering what might have been against a foe who refused to bend.
