Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva, currently the two youngest players ranked within the Top 30, are slated to compete against each other for the third time in the quarterfinals of the Mutua Madrid Open.
Fourth seed Gauff secured her spot in the Madrid last eight for the first time by overcoming Belinda Bencic with a score of 6-4, 6-2. This victory marks the latest encounter in their developing rivalry. The 20-year-old American has now reached the quarterfinals of all current WTA 1000 tournaments except Miami.
Shortly after Gauff concluded her match, seventh seed Andreeva also advanced, defeating qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-1, 6-4. This win sends Andreeva back to the quarterfinals in Madrid for the second consecutive year. Andreeva has already claimed two WTA 1000 titles this season, winning in Dubai and Indian Wells, and is set to celebrate her 18th birthday soon.
Minutes following Gauff`s victory, the tournament experienced widespread power outages across Spain, as confirmed by the electricity grid operator, Red Eléctrica. The power cut occurred while Andreeva was serving for her match, but she successfully saved four break points to finish before play was temporarily halted on all courts.
The upcoming match will be the first time Gauff and Andreeva meet as Top 10 players. Their previous two encounters were during Andreeva`s breakthrough season in 2023, both at Grand Slams. Gauff defeated Andreeva 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-1 in the third round of Roland Garros 2023 and again 6-3, 6-2 in the second round of the US Open three months later. Andreeva currently holds a five-match winning streak against Top 10 opponents, while Gauff`s only previous match against a Top 10 player in 2025 resulted in a loss to Jasmine Paolini in the Stuttgart quarterfinals last week.
Gauff`s Serve and Return Were Key: Gauff and Bencic have faced each other frequently recently, with this being their third meeting of the season, though their first on clay. Gauff now leads their overall head-to-head record 3-2 and the 2025 head-to-head 2-1.
Unlike their prior three-set matches in Australia and Indian Wells, this contest was relatively straightforward. Gauff outperformed Bencic across serve, return, and groundstrokes. She created 14 break point opportunities against Bencic`s serve, converting four, while only facing one break point herself. Gauff hit 25 winners compared to Bencic`s 10 and won 85% of her first-serve points, significantly higher than the Swiss player`s 60%.
A particularly effective tactic for Gauff was targeting Bencic`s second serve. She hit three clean return winners to secure her first break at 4-2 in the opening set and another to break for a 3-1 lead in the second. Bencic managed to win only four points when serving her second ball throughout the match.
Andreeva Maintains Strong Form: Andreeva showcased a composed and resilient performance to overcome a dangerous opponent she had not faced before. Yuliia Starodubtseva demonstrated her intent early, earning three break points in the very first game, and effectively utilized her drop shot multiple times during the match.
Andreeva`s ability to adapt her strategy based on the score is a significant strength. Despite Starodubtseva`s persistent threat, Andreeva saved all nine break points she faced. In the first set, she played consistently and carefully, drawing errors from her opponent on crucial points. As the second set tightened, Andreeva became more aggressive and creative, matching Starodubtseva`s successful drop shots with her own.
Rupert Caldwell