Coco Gauff had to come from a set down again to progress to the fourth round of the Miami Open.
Gauff retired for just the second time in her career at Indian Wells, after feeling pain in her left arm.
The world number four appears to be feeling better physically in Miami, but issues in Gauff’s game have still been present.
Gauff has lost the first set in both of her matches at the Miami Open so far, but signs suggest that this could actually be a hugely positive thing for the American.
Coco Gauff won the title at the only other WTA 1000 tournament where she came back in multiple matches
Gauff won her first ever WTA match at the Miami Open in 2019, having only just turned 15 years old.
However, the Miami Open is statistically one of Gauff’s worst WTA 1000 tournaments, as she is yet to surpass the fourth round in her six previous appearances.
Prove us wrong…
Gauff has come from a set down to beat both Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Alycia Parks to equal her best ever result at the tournament.
While losing a set is not often seen as a good thing, Gauff’s only previous experience of coming from a set down suggests that may not be the case.
The only other WTA tournament where Gauff came from a set down to win multiple matches was at the 2024 China Open, where she went on to win the title.
Gauff should now be encouraged that she can do the same in Miami, where she is just one win away from achieving her best result.
Although there are some parallels with her comeback win, it is worth noting that Gauff’s comeback wins at the China Open came in the latter stages of the tournament.
| China Open 2024 | Coco Gauff’s Result |
| First Round | Received a bye as the fourth seed |
| Second Round | Beat Clara Burel, 7-5 6-3 |
| Third Round | Beat Katie Boulter (26), 7-5 6-2 |
| Fourth Round | Beat Naomi Osaka, 3-6 6-4 (Osaka retired) |
| Quarterfinal | Beat Yuliia Starodubtseva, 2-6 6-2 6-2 |
| Semifinal | Beat Paula Badosa (15), 4-6 6-4 6-2 |
| Final | Beat Karolina Muchova, 6-1 6-3 |
Only one player has more comeback wins than Coco Gauff since 2025
Not only are Gauff’s comeback wins a positive sign for the future of her tournament at the Miami Open, but it is something that she has excelled in over the past year.
Where will Coco Gauff be ranked at the end of the 2026 season?
After Gauff beat Parks 3-6, 6-0, 6-1, it enabled her to equal Madison Keys and Anastasia Potapova with 11 wins from a set down since the start of the 2025 season.
Only one player has bettered Gauff in this statistic, with Jessica Pegula winning 13 matches from a set down in 2025 and 2026.
| WTA Players with the most wins from a set down since the start of 2025 | Number of comeback wins |
| Jessica Pegula | 13 |
| Coco Gauff | 11 |
| Madison Keys | 11 |
| Anastasia Potapova | 11 |
| Jasmine Paolini | 10 |
While this reflects well on Gauff’s mentality in matches, she will be hoping for a more straightforward fourth round match in Miami.
This is where Gauff will play Sorana Cirstea, the 35-year-old veteran who is retiring from tennis this year.
In their only previous meeting at the 2020 Australian Open, Gauff came from a set down to beat Cirstea in a close-fought three set match.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
