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United States’ (US) Coco Gauff reacts during her round of 32 match against Poland’s Magda Linette during the Italian Open in Foro Italico, Rome, Italy on May 11, 2025.
American Coco Gauff became the youngest player to reach four Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 quarter-finals on clay with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Britain’s Emma Raducanu in Rome on Monday.
Gauff says she is growing more comfortable on the surface with the French Open just around the corner.
The world number three has won eight out of her last nine matches on outdoor red clay, losing only to world number one, Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid Open final.
At 21, she is the youngest player to reach the quarters at four of the WTA 1000 tournaments since the elite events were introduced in 2009.
Gauff says she was pleased with the way her forehand was working against Raducanu.
“Especially on this surface, I think I can do a lot with it,” she added.
She says, “I’m getting used to it (clay) with each match. I feel really happy with how I played. I think I really was the one dictating the match for the most part.”
Gauff says she was also working on her footwork in the last two weeks while preparing for the French Open, where she reached the final in 2022 before losing to Iga Swiatek, who also beat her in the semi-finals last year.
She next faces world number seven Mirra Andreeva in the Italian Open quarters on Wednesday.
