Australian Open: Coco Gauff Cruises Past Leylah Fernandez into Last 16

Coco Gauff advances to the Australian Open fourth round with a convincing 6-4, 6-2 win over Leylah Fernandez, extending her winning streak to 16 consecutive sets since the start of 2025.

Coco Gauff, the 20-year-old third seed, continued her impressive start to the Australian Open with a convincing 6-4, 6-2 win over Leylah Fernandez, the 22-year-old Canadian 30th seed, to reach the fourth round on Friday. Gauff's performance was nearly flawless, leaving fans who had hoped for a more competitive match at Margaret Court Arena disappointed.

Gauff had previously defeated Fernandez at the United Cup mixed team tournament in late December. When asked about facing Fernandez again, Gauff acknowledged the challenge, saying: “I think it's harder (to face Fernandez again), because she knows what to expect. She played differently than she did at the United Cup.” Gauff also recognized the need to adapt her strategy, adding: “It's also harder because you're trying to change up from the last time.”

Despite the challenges, Gauff praised Fernandez's abilities, saying: “She's a great competitor and a great person, so I knew it would be a tough match regardless.” Gauff's victory marked another milestone in her Australian Open campaign, as she seeks to build on her semi-final appearance last year.

Coco Gauff's patience paid off in the third game of the match, as she squandered three break-point opportunities before eventually breaking Leylah Fernandez's serve to take a 4-3 lead. Gauff capitalized on Fernandez's error, sending a shot long, and then took control of the game to close out the opening set.

Starting as she means to go on 🌟@CocoGauff | #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/TeEY2YCzXX

— wta (@WTA) January 17, 2025

Gauff's dominance became even more apparent in the second set, as she quickly established a 3-0 lead. From there, she continued to dictate play, ultimately winning the set 6-2 and advancing to the next round with ease. With this victory, Gauff extended her impressive streak to 16 consecutive sets won since the start of 2025.

In the next round, Gauff will face Belinda Bencic, the Tokyo Olympics gold medalist, who advanced to the fourth round after Naomi Osaka retired due to an abdominal injury. Bencic was leading 7-6(3) when Osaka was forced to withdraw from the match.