Coco Gauff punched her ticket to a first Miami Open semifinal on Tuesday, grinding past Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in a two-hour, 15-minute battle that had the Hard Rock Stadium crowd on their feet from start to finish.
The world No. 4 came out sharp, dictating from the baseline and converting her chances to claim the opening set comfortably. Bencic, the 12th seed, responded emphatically in the second — finding clean winners at will and breaking Gauff repeatedly to level proceedings at a set apiece. But when the match demanded her best, Gauff delivered.
In the decider, she turned defence into attack, chased down balls that looked beyond reach, and mixed in deft drop shots to seize control of the rallies. She held firm on her serve when it mattered most and finished with authority.
The victory carries real weight for the 22-year-old. It builds on her round-of-16 comeback against Sorana Cirstea (6-4, 3-6, 6-2) and, crucially, makes her the youngest player in history to reach the quarterfinals or better at every single WTA 1000 event on the calendar — all ten of them. For someone who has called Miami a “bucket-list” tournament and speaks of it with open affection as a South Florida native, reaching the last four here feels particularly meaningful.
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The road to this point has not been without its complications. Gauff has been managing lingering effects from a nerve-related issue in her left arm — the same problem that forced her to retire at Indian Wells earlier this month. An MRI ruled out any structural damage, and she says the discomfort is significantly less acute than it was in California, improving day by day even if it still surfaces occasionally. She has chosen not to strap the arm, leaning instead on her mental toughness and the surge of energy from a passionate home crowd to carry her through a demanding run of three-setters.
Standing between Gauff and a Miami Open final is Czech 13th seed Karolína Muchová, who booked her semifinal spot with a composed 7-5, 7-6(5) victory over Canada’s hard-hitting 19-year-old Victoria Mboko — a rematch of their recent Doha final, again settled in Muchová’s favour.
Gauff holds a flawless 5-0 head-to-head record against the 2023 French Open finalist, including a three-set win at January’s Australian Open. But Muchová’s touch, variety and big-match poise make her a dangerous opponent, and Thursday’s semifinal promises a fascinating contrast of styles. For the home favourite, one more win would put the Miami title firmly in her sights.