Wimbledon 2026 results: Coco Gauff beats Jessica Pegula to reach semi-finals for first time
Coco Gauff advanced to her first Wimbledon semi-final after fighting back with a comeback victory over Jessica Pegula.
Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, has never advanced beyond the fourth round at the All England Club before and was eliminated in the first round last year.
But she recovered from a false start against world number four Pegula, the highest-ranked player remaining in the singles draw, to win 4-6 6-3 6-3.
The 22-year-old player became the youngest player to reach the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams since Maria Sharapova, who achieved this feat at the 2007 French Open.
She will face Karolina Muchova in the final after Czech 10th seed Naomi Osaka ended her impressive run at a high-quality event.
Muchova also reached her first Wimbledon semi-final, having been beaten at this stage in 2019 and 2021, by defeating Japan’s Osaka by a score of 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 on Court One.
Seventh seed Gauff was hampered by four double faults and 17 unforced errors in the opening set.
But as in all tournaments, Gauff displayed excellent fighting spirit to become the first woman in 30 years to reach the singles semi-finals with four three-set wins.
Gauff later joked: “I think a lot of people took me out in the first or second round of this tournament.”
“After seven years of playing in this tournament, this is the first time I’ve walked onto Center Court and I don’t feel nervous.
“So I don’t know; am I a veteran already?”
Gauff will face either Naomi Osaka or Carolina Muchova, who will meet later Tuesday, for a spot in Saturday’s final.
After an excellent opening set, Pegula was eventually punished for failing to capitalize on her opportunities early in the second half, having forced three break points in her opponent’s first two games.
The momentum was reversed when Gauff took advantage of Pegula’s poor play to break at love and keep her composure to fight back from 0-30 down, serving out the set to tie the match.
The turbulent nature of the competition continued into the final set, but it was Gauff who managed to raise her level when necessary.
The 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open champion reacted immediately after Pegula’s setback, taking a 4-3 lead and celebrating her victory on Pegula’s serve with her first match point.
The defeat means Pegula’s wait for her first Grand Slam singles title will continue and she could be left regretting a missed opportunity.
