Coco Gauff has stormed into the quarter-finals of the French Open after a fourth round win over Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Gauff helped break an American tennis record after reaching round four in Paris, where she took on 20th seed Alexandrova.
And it was the second seed who emerged victorious, with WTA number two Gauff defeating her opponent 6-0, 7-5.
The American needed one hour and 22 minutes to clinch the win and subsequently reach a fifth consecutive French Open quarter-final.
Gauff, who won the 2023 US Open, lost the 2022 French Open final to Iga Swiatek in her only other career Grand Slam final to date.
Chris Evert points out Ekaterina Alexandrova mistake in French Open loss to Coco Gauff
Reacting to her latest win was former professional Chris Evert, who said after the match on TNT Sports: “Coco to me has always played the big points well. Ekaterina I felt like really had chances and didn’t go for her shots. She got tentative and a little tight.
“That has been the mojo that she has had. I think her game is terrific, everything has been working well in her game.
“I think she needs to improve on the nerves though because she does get a little tight in big situations and I have seen a lot of matches against big players where she has backed up and not played her game.”
Chris Evert says one area of Coco Gauff’s game was ‘excellent’ vs Ekaterina Alexandrova
Gauff entered the second Grand Slam of 2025 following back-to-back final defeats, both of which came on clay.
She lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid Open final, and was then beaten by Jasmine Paolini in the Italian Open final.
But the American is now on a four-match winning run since then, and has taken her head-to-head record against Alexandrova to 4-1.
READ MORE: Coco Gauff explains what has been ‘very special’ for American tennis this year at the French Open
Continuing her analysis, tennis legend Evert said of Gauff: “It just always bothered me when I would see her play and she would be hitting the ball on her back foot and she would be whipping her racket up, and I was like no, no, no, no, you’ve got to step into the ball and get your weight forward.
“I thought her forehand was excellent today, there were no hitches at all, maybe a couple, but for the most part it was great.
“Nothing in her game looked bad to me, everything was working. I just think, I don’t know… I just think all these tests are coming in the second set, and I think these tests are good for her.
“But Ekaterina, give her credit, she played better than her best. The thing is, when you play these top players like Sabalenka and Coco, you just can’t play well, you’ve got to play better than your best.
“You’ve got to find that next level if you’re going to compete against them. Coco only has to play her game, I feel, you know, which is already an A-Game. But I think the second set was touch and go, and it was more competitive.
“And again, I was happy to see Ekaterina really matching her ground strokes and looking a little bit more like she believed that she could win.”
Tim Henman rates Coco Gauff’s performance against Ekaterina Alexandrova
Gauff has been in formidable form in Paris once again this year, having yet to drop a set from her four matches so far.
The 21-year-old wasted little time in securing her latest win, with the American now boasting a 15-3 record on clay for 2025.
Sharing his take on her latest win, former British number one Tim Henman said: “Really impressive, clean performance from Coco Gauff.
“She really set the tone early, using her athletic ability to stay in the rallies. I think at times Alexandrova was hitting the ball so hard it was taking time away from Gauff’s forehand, so she didn’t really have that much time to think about it.
“And yeah, from the word go, Gauff gets the early break. That unforced error from Alexandrova, and that was really the story of the first set.
“Much more consistent from Gauff. The depth there, staying in the rally. Coco Gauff is able to, you know, just sit that little bit further back behind the baseline to soak up the power.
“I mean to play a first set like this, the confidence was flowing. That forehand has been a little temperamental, but in the first set, it really did look so good.
“There was far greater resistance in the second set from Alexandrova, but Gauff, on so many of these occasions, is able to find the answers, find the solutions.”
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