American third seed Coco Gauff reached the French Open semi-finals by overcoming Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in a hard-fought match at Roland Garros. The 20-year-old demonstrated her maturity and resilience, securing a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory on Tuesday.
Jabeur, the eighth seed, started strong by taking the opening set, but Gauff stayed composed and capitalized on her opponent’s dip in performance. Despite failing to convert a match point at 5-2 in the final set and facing a break point at 5-3, Gauff eventually sealed the win when Jabeur sent an overhead long. Gauff’s passionate celebration on court reflected the significance of the challenge she had overcome.
“She’s a tough opponent,” Gauff said, acknowledging Jabeur’s persistence. “I was trying to be more aggressive; she was playing really well and hitting a lot of winners, which I’m not used to. I got a little bit tight but I did what I needed to do.”
The US Open champion, who was the runner-up at Roland Garros in 2022, is now aiming for her second major title. Gauff will face either Polish top seed Iga Swiatek, who defeated her in the final two years ago, or Czech fifth seed Marketa Vondrousova in the semi-finals.
Gauff’s progression to the semi-finals underscores her growth and determination, positioning her as a formidable contender for the title.
