The 18-year-old American will face off against unseeded Martina Trevisan, who, like Gauff, will also be playing in her first major semifinal in Paris on Thursday. The 28-year-old Italian earlier defeated Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez in a three-set thriller on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
“The weight of Coco’s shots and control aggression today were too much for Sloane Stephens to handle. I love the way Coco and her family have navigated the last three years since her breakthrough performance at Wimbledon in 2019, at aged 15. And she’s growing in confidence as the French Open progresses,” Nick McCarvel, an ardent tennis follower tweeted.
Reacting to her outstanding win over Stephens, Gauff said, “I feel so happy right now that words can't explain it. Last year's quarter-final was a tough loss and it made me stronger and better prepared for moments like today. Last time I played (Stephens) I lost so I'm glad today it went different. I told myself to stay mentally there, and that I know there would be shots that I should probably have made.”
And there would be some shots that she would get in the court that no players can reach. It was a mental challenge. Gauff has not dropped a set at the French open so far. She burst on to the scene in 2019, when at aged 15, defeated Venus Williams in her dream run to the round of 16 at Wimbledon -becoming the youngest qualifier to reach that far in open era.
Gauff backed her early early Grand Slam success with deep runs at all four majors which include a third round appearance at the U.S. Open and the Australian open round of 16 - in addition to winning two singles, four doubles titles on the WTA tour. Seeded #18 at the French open, Gauff is a strong contender to win the title along with world number one Iga Swiatek of Poland.
