Coco Gauff outlasts Belinda Bencic in three sets to reach her first Miami Open semifinal

Three-set quarterfinal sends American into uncharted Miami territory

Coco Gauff moved into her first Miami Open semifinal with a three-set win over Belinda Bencic, advancing at the WTA 1000 event staged at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The quarterfinal, played Tuesday, March 24, 2026, ended 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 and set up the deepest Miami run of Gauff’s career.

The match continued a recent pattern in their meetings: momentum swings, service pressure and extended baseline exchanges. After taking the opening set, Gauff faced a sharp response in the second as Bencic tightened her timing and forced a deciding set. In the third, Gauff steadied her level to close out the win and secure a spot in the last four.

What the result means for both players

For Gauff, the victory adds a significant milestone at a tournament where she had not previously reached the semifinals. Miami has often been a high-profile home event for the 21-year-old, but her best results here had stopped short of the final weekend. This year’s run moves her into the semifinal stage on one of the tour’s biggest non-major platforms.

For Bencic, the loss ends a notable Miami campaign against an opponent she has traded major wins with over the past two seasons. Bencic has re-established herself among the elite following her return to full-time competition after maternity leave, including title wins in 2025 and a rise back toward the top tier of the rankings. Her Miami performance again underlined the level she can sustain in extended, high-intensity matches against top seeds.

How the match unfolded

• First set: Gauff secured early control and carried it through to a 6-3 lead.

• Second set: Bencic lifted her aggression and turnaround efficiency to take the set 6-1, pushing the contest into a decider.

• Third set: Gauff regained stability and finished the match 6-3 to clinch the quarterfinal.

The win places Gauff into the Miami Open semifinals for the first time, a key benchmark at a WTA 1000 tournament on U.S. soil.

Next on the Miami schedule

Gauff will now prepare for a semifinal matchup as the tournament approaches its closing stages. With multiple top seeds still in the field, the remaining rounds are set to be decided by a narrow set of margins that have characterized the event’s late-week matches.

Miami’s women’s draw continues this week with quarterfinal and semifinal play determining the finalists for the 2026 edition.