The United States has long been home to some of the greatest talents in women’s tennis. Right now, four Americans sit inside the WTA Top 10, but none has shined brighter this season than 21-year-old Coco Gauff, the current world No. 2. This week, the rising star added another major milestone to her resume — one that puts her ahead of Serena Williams in the record books.
Gauff powered past Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti 6-2, 6-4 in the Cincinnati Open’s Round of 16 and will next face either Jasmine Paolini or Barbora Krejcikova in the quarterfinals.
But beyond advancing, Thursday’s win secured her a place in history, surpassing none other than Serena Williams — a legend of American tennis alongside her sister Venus.
Since the Tier I/WTA 1000 format was introduced in 1990, Gauff has now reached 19 quarterfinals at that level before turning 22, edging past Williams’ mark of 18. That total ranks her third all-time, trailing only Maria Sharapova (20) and Martina Hingis, whose jaw-dropping 39 quarterfinals before the age of 22 may never be touched.
Coco Gauff of the United States reacts after winning a game during the match against Lucia Bronzetti of Italy during the Cincinnati Open. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Gauff on her game plan against Bronzetti
Gauff entered the Round of 16 far fresher than her opponent. While Bronzetti had battled through three matches to reach this stage, Gauff had played just once after her previous opponent, Dayana Yastremska, withdrew. The extra rest showed.
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The American said her strategy was to stay aggressive from the start — and it worked. Bronzetti struggled to counter Gauff’s pace and precision, falling in straight sets to a player who had enjoyed four days off between matches.
“For the most part I played aggressive,” Gauff said in her on-court interview. “Maybe got a little passive in some of those games. But it’s tough — the balls are super light and they fly, and she wasn’t giving me much pace, so I was just trying to play controlled but also aggressive“.
