Coco Gauff emulates Serena & Venus Williams milestones with Indian Wells run
Coco Gauff earned herself a slice of Indian Wells revenge with a big victory over Maria Sakkari on Monday.
After defeat to the Greek in the last four in 2024, world No 3 Gauff battled her way to an impressive 7-6(1), 6-2 win over the 29th seed this time around.
Gauff hit six double faults trying to close the match out, and it was a far-from-perfect performance, but she did enough to back up her opening win against Moyuka Uchijima.
The US star has once again reached the fourth round and finds herself having emulated her two idols in doing so.
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Three straight Week 2 appearances
This is the third consecutive year that the 20-year-old has made it this far, and she will hope to progress even further through the draw.
Gauff won her fourth-round matches in 2023 and 2024, ultimately losing in the quarter-final two years ago and in the semi-final twelve months ago.
However, by making it this far, she has already matched a Venus Williams milestone.
Gauff is the first American woman since Venus to reach the second week of Indian Wells in three consecutive years, matching the former world No 1’s run from 2017 to 2019.
Venus won all her fourth-round matches in that run, making the last eight in 2017 and 2019, and the last four in 2018; Gauff will look to join her in holding a perfect 3-0 record in her three straight showings.
Youngest since Serena
It is not just Venus that Gauff has followed in the footsteps of, thanks to this latest run.
The younger of the two Williamses, Serena also reached the second week in three consecutive years in Indian Wells, from 1999-2001.
Gauff is now the youngest American woman since the 23-time Grand Slam champion to do just that, though she will not be able to match one of Serena’s records quite yet.
The tennis icon claimed the Indian Wells title in both 1999 and 2001, while the world No 3 is still searching for her first title in the desert.
Will more history beckon?
With Gauff joined alongside the likes of Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys among the tournament favourites, US fans will hope that the long wait for a US singles champion will finally end in 2025.
It has been 24 years since an American woman lifted the title in Indian Wells, with Serena’s second and final triumph in 2001 the last such victory.
Serena and Venus’ boycott of the tournament, which started in 2002 and lasted until 2015 and 2016 respectively, likely played a significant factor in that.
However, since 2001, Lindsay Davenport (2003-05) and Serena (2016) are the only US women to even reach the final.
Gauff’s next step towards a first Indian Wells title will be a fourth-round clash versus Belinda Bencic, though she could then face fifth seed Keys in the last eight.
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