Coco Gauff Rallies from Set Down to Defeat Belinda Bencic at Australian Open

Coco Gauff came back from a set down to beat Belinda Bencic 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 and reach the Australian Open quarter-finals, extending her winning streak to nine matches.

Coco Gauff, the 20-year-old American third seed, demonstrated her resilience by coming back from a set down to defeat Belinda Bencic 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Sunday. This victory marked Gauff's ninth consecutive win of the season and propelled her into the quarter-finals.

Bencic, a 27-year-old Swiss player, had been in impressive form despite being ranked 294th upon her return to the tour after giving birth to a daughter. She had won seven of her eight encounters with major champions, showcasing her skills as she took the first set in the bright sunshine on Rod Laver Arena. Gauff, however, had not dropped a set in 2025 prior to this match and was determined to turn the tide.

Gauff adopted a more aggressive approach in the second set, which paid off as she leveled the contest at 1-1. The momentum shifted in her favor, and she carried this into the deciding set. Although Bencic had an opportunity to break Gauff's serve in the opening game of the third set, the American slammed the door shut, and a fortunate net cord twice went against Bencic. Gauff broke for 3-1 and never looked back, rattling off the last three games to seal the victory and set up a quarter-final clash with Spain's Paula Badosa.

Coco Gauff reflected on her hard-fought victory over Belinda Bencic, acknowledging that her opponent played exceptional tennis in the first set. “I thought in the first set she played great tennis, it was tough for me to be more on offence,” the 20-year-old said. Despite the challenging start, Gauff adjusted her strategy and played more aggressively in the second set, ultimately securing the win.

Gauff expressed satisfaction with her overall performance but recognized areas for improvement. “Overall I'm happy with how I played, the first set could have gone my way with a few more points and I played more aggressively in the second set then reset to play my best in the third.” However, she will likely focus on reducing her unforced errors, including nine double faults, and improving her second-serve success rate, which stood at around 40%.

Down a set, Coco Gauff reminds everyone why she needs to be feared 👏👏

The American is through to the #AusOpen quarterfinals 5-7 6-2 6-1!@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • @CocoGauff • #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/ysNQrkfYYx

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 19, 2025

Looking ahead to her quarter-final match, Gauff emphasized her determination to build on her offseason training and achieve her goals. “We worked very hard in the offseason, obviously there's still a lot for me to go to accomplish my goal,” Gauff said. She also shared a valuable lesson from her father, recalling, “Maybe a couple of years ago, if I lost the first set I might lose the match and I remember my dad said, 'we've got to toughen you up'.” This mindset has contributed to her growth and ability to bounce back from adversity.