American tennis star Coco Gauff advanced to her first career Wimbledon semifinal on Thursday, July 9, 2026, after a series of comeback victories.
She will face Karolina Muchova for a spot in the finals.
Gauff had previously struggled to advance past the fourth round at the All England Club.
She failed to win a single match on grass for two consecutive years despite major titles at the U.
S. Open and French Open.
"We don't have the best relationship," Gauff said regarding her history with grass courts.
She entered the tournament with a 65% winning percentage at Wimbledon, lower than her success at other Grand Slams.
"I definitely think I have the ability to play on [grass]," Gauff said.
The 22-year-old noted that success on the surface required a shift in mindset rather than just physical adjustments.
"I think it's more about the confidence," she added.
In her quarterfinal match against fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula, Gauff overcame a difficult opening set and mounting service errors to win in three sets.
"Oh my god, how?!" she mouthed to her team in disbelief after securing the semifinal berth.
Gauff also survived tight matches against Solana Sierra, where she was twice points away from defeat, and Belinda Bencic, finishing just minutes before the tournament curfew.
"I felt like in the first set I was maybe rushing out of some points too early," Gauff said.
"Towards the end, I just really honed in on my game and realized I don't have to play a spectacular point every time to win."
The American attributed her turnaround to newfound comfort on the surface. "I think it feels really special considering the results I've had of late," she said.
"I really think I've found a bit of a breakthrough on grass."
Reflecting on her earlier exit at Roland-Garros, Gauff said she placed immense mental pressure on herself.
"I had way too high expectations and way too much pressure on myself," she said. "I think I mentally blocked myself."
Gauff holds a 6-1 career head-to-head advantage over Muchova, though they have never faced each other on grass.
"Do I feel like Wimbledon is part of my destiny? If you asked me seven days ago, the answer would have been no," Gauff said.
"But I hope it is part of my destiny, whether it's this year or in the future."
Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli praised Gauff's performance on BBC's 6-Love-6 show. "I really like Coco, honestly.
I think she always finds a way to win," Bartoli said. "She's an incredible fighter on court, she moves exceptionally well."
Bartoli recalled Gauff's 2019 tournament debut at age 15, when she beat Venus Williams. "Grass is about movement, legs and power, and you can do it," Bartoli said.
"I'm so happy to see her in the semifinals, she always finds a solution."
