Coco Gauff Rallies Past Madison Keys in Roland Garros Thriller to Reach Fifth French Open Quarterfinal.
Former US Open champion Coco Gauff took her revenge on Madison Keys in an exciting all-American clash at Roland Garros. The 2022 French Open runner-up rallied from a set down to defeat the 2025 Australian Open champion Keys 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-2 in a 2-hour and 11-minute match on Court Philippe-Chatrier today.
This marked Gauff’s fifth quarter final appearance in Paris, while Keys was playing her first clay-court slam in six years. And despite her experience and a strong opening, Keys couldn’t outlast Gauff’s indomitable spirit and fiery resilience for a spot in the semifinals.
The match began with Madison Keys taking control, racing to a 4-1 lead in the first set. Gauff fought back, holding a set point at 5-4. But Keys pushed her in a tense tiebreak, converting her second set point to extend her 11-match Grand Slam win streak. Notably, Gauff had won their only previous Grand Slam encounter at the 2022 US Open.
Remembering the early setback, the 21-year-old responded with a composed and aggressive second set, leading ahead with a double-break. Keys leveled, but Gauff regained momentum to force a decider.
In the third set, Gauff broke early and never looked back, pulling away with a mix of baseline power and net finesse. She sealed the match with her ninth break of serve, booking her place in the semifinals, where she awaits the overnight French sensation Lois Boisson clash.
Despite the win, Gauff had her fair share of struggles, especially with her serve. She hit 10 double faults, more than Keys (4), but compensated with greater efficiency overall. The 2023 US Open champion won an impressive 75% of her first-serve points, outpacing Keys’ 67%. On second serve, too, she held the edge with brilliance, winning 46% compared to Keys’ 38%.
The difference-maker, though, came in the clutch moments when Gauff converted 9 of 17 break points, while Keys managed 5 of 10. In the end, Gauff won a total of 109 points to Keys’ 90, underlining her ability to step up when it mattered most.
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“I have had that in me from a young age. When times become more difficult, knowing that I can dig deep in those tough moments,” admitted Gauff post-match with great confidence. But what brought her this spirit? She answered, “Just a love to win, the will to win. It’s not something that’s taught or anything. It’s just I have always had that in me, and not just in tennis but in everything. I’m a very competitive person.”
According to ESPN, Gauff improved to a 4-0 record at the French Open to win after dropping the first set, tying Elina Svitolina, a record she held since 2019. She also became the youngest woman to claim 25 main-draw victories at the French Open since Martina Hingis (between 1995 and 2000), highlighting her skill on clay.
Back in 2022, she had reached the French Open final as a teenager, only to be defeated by Iga Swiatek. “It was just a lot of emotions,” Gauff admitted emotionally post-match. “Because I feel like I worked hard and I felt like I just didn’t play my best match.”
Now older, wiser, and more battle-tested, Gauff is back in Paris, chasing unfinished business.
