Coco Gauff, right? This girl, she’s got a future in tennis that’s seriously shining bright. Like, she’s already making a name for herself. At the Australian Open this year, she reached another huge milestone, beating Belinda Bencic to make it to the quarterfinals—her eighth career Grand Slam quarterfinal. It wasn’t easy though, the match was a real battle, lasting over two hours. But Coco showed incredible strength and came back to win 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. And get this, she’s now matching her idol, Serena Williams, for wins at just 20 years old!

The intense heat on Rod Laver Arena took its toll early on. The third seed struggled to find her range early in the match against Bencic, facing challenging conditions on Rod Laver Arena. Temperatures soared to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius), baking the blue court under the blazing sun. Spectators fanned themselves, and Gauff sought respite in the cool air provided at the bench, occasionally applying an ice pack to her face.

As the first set progressed, her frustration grew. Double faults plagued her, and her unforced errors piled up, reaching a staggering 20. With each errant shot, Gauff gestured towards her coaches in disbelief, seemingly searching for answers.

However, she found her rhythm in the second set, significantly reducing her unforced errors and dominating with powerful returns and precise groundstrokes. This resurgence of confidence was evident in her commanding performance in the final set, where she confidently closed out the match, urging the crowd to cheer her on.

Gauff’s victory marked a significant milestone in her career. Gauff excels in deciding sets at Grand Slam events, boasting a 16-6 record. Her recent form is particularly impressive, having won eight of her last 10 deciding sets matches. She also became only the fifth player in history to begin three consecutive seasons with at least nine wins. This achievement has placed her alongside tennis legends like Serena Williams, Steffi Graf, Margaret Court, and Monica Seles.

Reflecting on this accomplishment during her post-match interview, Gauff expressed her gratitude by saying, “I saw something like that on Instagram, so I knew, but yeah, it’s pretty crazy to be amongst the same stat line as legends. Yeah, I’m very grateful, and you know we worked hard in the off-season. Obviously, there is still a lot to go for me to accomplish my goal, but you know I can say that I am proud of myself and happy with how I perform.”

While this win ended Gauff’s consecutive-set streak at the Australian Open, it tied her for another record. Gauff’s achievement of reaching this many Grand Slam quarterfinals before the age of 21 is a rare feat, surpassed only by Maria Sharapova (12) and Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters (9 each).

While talking about her previous matches during the same interview, she said, “I think maybe a couple of years ago, I had a really bad stat line. When I lost the first set, I would lose the match, it was like really bad, so I remember my dad was like, ‘we’ve got to get some fight in you.’ So every time I lose a first set, I kind of think about that and try to dig even deeper.”

By taking inspiration from her father’s words, and commanding performance, and being the only active player on tour with a signature shoe, Gauff has demonstrated her evolution as a player.

Coco Gauff flexes her exclusive signature shoes at The AO

At the Australian Open, she showcased her Coco CG2 AO Colorway sneakers, a sleek custom shoe blending a white and marsh green design with the New Balance logo. This is her second CG2 tennis shoe. The 20-year-old highlighted this special aspect of her career, celebrating her partnership with New Balance that began when she was just 14 years old.

These sneakers are particularly meaningful to Gauff, as they are inspired by basketball, a sport very dear to her family. During the post-match interview, she shared, “My dad played basketball, and he always wanted me to play basketball, and actually I did. He put me in unwillingly, but it was pretty fun. And my mom did track, so they put me in track. But yeah, these shoes are inspired by basketball shoes, which is why they look kind of higher. That’s pretty much the only thing behind those shoes.”

Gauff’s relationship with the New Balance has been integral to her career as well. In an August 2024 interview with Essence.com, she reflected on her collaboration with The New Balance. “The New Balance team has been there for every step of my journey and truly let me be myself when it comes to product and design,” she said. After introducing her first signature shoe, the CG1, in 2022, she unveiled the first CG2 shoes in 2024, further cementing her influence both on and off the court.

From achieving a record shared with Serena Williams and Steffi Graf to showcasing her signature sneakers, Gauff continues to make waves in the Australian Open. She will now face Spaniard Paula Bedosa in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.