Mirra Andreeva plays mind games with Coco Gauff ahead of their first matchup since Roland Garros 2023 in Madrid Open quarterfinals
Mirra Andreeva has not yet clinched a win against Coco Gauff in their previous two meetings back in 2023.
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Mirra Andreeva, Coco Gauff (Image via X/Tennis Channel, We Are Tennis)
Mirra Andreeva has set up a match against Coco Gauff for the third time in her career. She will meet the American in the quarterfinals of the ongoing Madrid Open.
In their previous encounters, the matches didn’t end in the Russian’s favor. They first met in the third round of the 2023 Roland Garros which Gauff had won in three sets, followed by her victory in the second round of the 2023 US Open which Gauff later lifted to become a Grand Slam champion for the first time.
Prior to setting up the clash with Gauff, the 18-year-old knocked out Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-1, 6-4. Gauff, on the other hand, took revenge on Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-2. Andreeva, following her fourth-round win, recalled the Roland Garros defeat to the 2023 US Open champion and revealed how she will be preparing for the upcoming match.
The last time I played her on clay was at Roland Garros 2023. The first set was tight, but the rest of the match was like…She didn’t give me a single chance. But that was two years ago, so I’m just really excited not to get revenge, but to see how differently I play. I think it’s going to be an interesting match.
Mirra Andreeva told Tennis Channel
While Andreeva has lifted two WTA 1000 titles this year (the Dubai Open and the Indian Wells), Gauff hasn’t yet clinched a title since winning the 2024 WTA Finals. She started the 2025 season strongly but after losing the quarterfinal match against Paula Badosa in the Australian Open, Gauff failed to win more than two matches in the next five tournaments she played, including in the Stuttgart Open.
She broke that streak by beating Bencic. Prior to beating the 2021 Olympic champion, Gauff knocked out compatriot Ann Li and Dayana Yastremska.
The Ukrainian registered a bagel against Gauff in the first set. And as Gauff reached the quarterfinal, she became the second woman in the history of the Madrid Open to move into the last eight after losing the first set 0-6, following Bethanie Mattek-Sands who had recorded this against Ana Ivanovic in the 2011 Madrid Open.
Mirra Andreeva reacts to the power outage at the Madrid Open
Mirra Andreeva, Coco Gauff, and Matteo Arnaldi‘s were the only matches that were completed on Monday (April 28). A total of 22 matches were canceled due to a massive power outage in Spain, Portugal as well as some parts of France.
The consequence was that Gauff had to use baby wipes to wipe herself instead of taking a shower as there was no running water. She also was forced to walk to her hotel instead of the car. But Gauff admitted later that the blackout during the Madrid Open will forever be etched in the minds of the players. Andreeva too enjoyed the atmosphere.
Everyone is using the phones with flashlights. But it’s also kind of fun because everyone is talking together. The atmosphere is a little bit more friendly.
Mirra Andreeva said at the press conference
The power went out after 12 p.m. local time and came back in some parts of Spain around 9 p.m. local time. The reason behind the power outage is not known yet. But as per some reports, it perhaps could be due to technical issues in the European power grid system or a wildfire on Mount Alaric which damaged a high-voltage power line. There are also reports that the blackout was caused by a rare phenomenon known as induced atmospheric vibrations.
Matches on Tuesday have been resumed and Grigor Dimitrov, who was a game away from winning the third round against Britain’s Jacob Fearnley, moved into the fourth round with a 6-4, 7-6(3) scoreline. The match was suspended on Monday because of the same reason.
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