Mirra Andreeva reacted with a roll of the eyes and a stuck-out tongue when told she would face Coco Gauff in the US Open quarter-finals on Wednesday. The 19-year-old Russian has lost all five of her previous encounters with the 22-year-old American, who is seeking a second title at Flushing Meadows.
Gauff advanced by beating Iva Jovic in an all-American tie, while Andreeva defeated Anastasia Potapova in the last 16. Although the reigning French Open champion holds Gauff in high regard, her playful disgust at the draw was telling.
Andreeva's history of on-court outbursts
Andreeva has built a reputation for losing her cool. At Wimbledon 2023 she received a point penalty for throwing her racket for a second time. That same year she nearly faced disqualification from the French Open after blasting a ball into the stands during her third-round loss to Gauff.
Her frustrations boiled over after she failed to convert two set points in a first-set tie-break. The ball struck a spectator in the fourth row, and umpire Timo Janzen issued a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Afterwards, Andreeva said: “Right after, I thought that it was a really stupid move from me, because it was not necessary to do that. Yes, so that was not the best I could do and not the best. It was really bad what I did.”
Gauff's advice and support
Gauff defended Andreeva while offering friendly advice, having herself been fined for smashing a racket in a quarter-final defeat by Barbora Krejcikova in Paris in 2021.
“The ball thing, I guess maybe keep that in control,” Gauff said. “But the banging of the rackets and all that, you shouldn’t do it, but it’s part of growing up and part of life. So I’m not going to sit here and berate her for it. I’m not going to act like I was on a pedestal because I’ve acted bad plenty of times. Mirra, what happened today, I think she’s going to learn from it. Mirra is super young and has a big future.”
“I remember I played here when I was 16 so she has a lot to look forward to. She proved she belongs where she is and deserves to go far,” Gauff added.
Recent incidents and preparation
At the Italian Open semi-finals in 2025, Gauff extended her unbeaten streak against Andreeva. Once again, the youngster's frustration boiled over during a tie-break, as she slammed a ball against the wall and then accidentally hit a ball boy when tossing a ball over the net.
Andreeva has since worked with a sports psychologist to control her outbursts. She previously said: “I have some new tips. I have some new advices in a way how to work with my anger inside, what to do when I don’t feel great, how to maintain my level when I feel great, how to keep being me.”
Speaking ahead of their US Open clash, Gauff said: “It is another tough match. Mirra is someone that I always have tough matches with and they have leaned my way but every match could have almost gone either way.” The US Open 2026 runs until September 13 at Flushing Meadows.
