Andreeva reflects after painful US Open quarter-final loss to Gauff

Mirra Andreeva left Arthur Ashe Stadium with mixed emotions after a hard-fought three-set loss to Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals of the 2026 US Open.

The world No. 5 was defeated 6-2, 6-7(7), 2-6 by the fourth-ranked American on Wednesday in what was the 19-year-old Russian’s first quarter-final appearance at the tournament. Andreeva had her chances in the second set, but she could not convert match points at 6-5 and 7-6 in the tiebreak. The result extended her career record against Gauff to 0-6.

Andreeva had entered the event with ambitions of adding a second Grand Slam title to the French Open crown she won earlier in 2026. Gauff, meanwhile, continues her pursuit of a third major title and a second US Open championship.

Speaking afterward, Andreeva said the key lesson was to take more chances when the match was on her racquet.

Q. You had the match in a winning position a couple of times. Just looking back, what are some things you wish you could have done differently when you had that momentum and the edge?

ANDREEVA: Maybe risk more, I guess. I think at that moment I kind of just wanted to play, you know, wanted to make a rally a longer point. So I think that if I maybe would have gone for something more risky to see what would have happened, maybe that would be the only thing that I would change.

She also described Gauff as a difficult opponent because of the American’s patience and ability to extend rallies.

Q. You guys have had some good battles. What makes her so tough to face?

ANDREEVA: I think she’s just more patient than me in a way that, you know, at some moments she makes less mistakes, and obviously she gets a lot of balls back, which I think after, I’m the one that’s trying to rush and make more mistakes than her. So, I think something to also see and take into account for the next matches that I’ll play against her.

Andreeva said she felt less nervous than usual and tried to attack early, but admitted that the match shifted once Gauff raised her level. She also said she was unsure, in the immediate aftermath, whether there were specific positives to carry forward from the tournament.

On her emotions, she acknowledged the importance of body language while explaining why frustration surfaced late in the match.