The young American defeated 3rd seed and world number four Paula Badosa in straight sets 6-2, 6-3, to reach the last eight of Qatar TotalEnergies open championships - making her the youngest player to qualify for 11 singles quarterfinals in WTA history.
Just recently, Gauff equaled the early-career exploits of Serena Williams - who becomes the only player to feature in 10 career WTA quarterfinals at age 17.
However, Coco’s qualification to the quarterfinal in Qatar yesterday has made her the youngest teenager to achieve this feat, an incredible accomplishment for a 17-year-old phenom, who has reached the round of 16 in three majors and the 3rd round of the U.S. Open in 2019.
Gauff is also the youngest player to make a Grand Slam quarterfinal since Nicole Vaidisova reached the last eight at the 2006 French Open.
Coco clinched her second WTA title by beating Wang Qiang 6-1 6-3 in the final of the Emilia-Romagna Open in Parma in 2021. Her triumphant success in Parma, Italy, comes two years after winning her first professional WTA singles title at the 2019 Linz Open at age 15, making her the youngest singles title-holder on the WTA Tour since 2004. Coco had also won three WTA doubles titles with her regular doubles partner and close friend Caty McNally. Going by their doubles name ‘McCoco’, the pair has reached a Grand Salm doubles final at the Flushing Meadows in New York last year - the first major final of their career.
This is a list of all 11, WTA tournaments for which Coco Gauff has reached the quarterfinals including the one which is underway in Qatar)
- Linz Open 2019 (won the tournament)
- Lexington Open 2020 (reached semis)
- Adelaide International 2021 (reached semis)
- WTA Dubai 2021 (reached the quarterfinals)
- Charleston Open 2021 (reached the quarterfinals)
- Italian Open 2021 (reached semis)
- WTA Parma 2021 (won the tournament)
- French Open 2021 (reached the quarterfinals)
- Montreal Open 2021 (reached the quarterfinal)
- Adelaide International 2 2022 (reached semis)
- Qatar Open)
Author: Lamin Drammeh, a multiple award winning journalist and former sports editor of The Point Newspaper
