French Open 2025: Coco Gauff defeats Madison Keys, will face France's Lois Boisson in semifinals
Coco Gauff advances to the French Open semifinals for the second year in a row. (Photo by ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images)
In an all-American quarterfinal match, No. 2 seed Coco Gauff came out on top of No. 7 seed Madison Keys at the French Open on Wednesday, 6-7, 6-4, 6-1. Gauff advances to face Lois Boisson in the semifinals on Thursday in Gauff's second consecutive French Open semifinal appearance.
Keys was the highest-ranked opponent Gauff had faced in this French Open, and she proved a challenge early before letting up late.
Advertisement
While both players took a while to get settled in, it was a rough start for Gauff, who piled up errors as she went down 4-1 in the first set before surging back with four straight games to take a brief lead. She and Keys matched each other en route to a tiebreak, which the 2025 Australian Open winner ultimately won 8-6. It was the first set Gauff had dropped in the tournament as she struggled with her serve at the end.
Gauff improved in the second set and mounted a 4-1 lead, but similar to the first set, Keys rallied back to tie things up. But this time, Gauff was able to pull away, taking the set 6-4. Gauff was much sharper in the third set, taking a commanding lead and never letting up, capitalizing on Key's errors and minimizing her own.
Keys had 60 unforced errors to Gauff's 41, and 34 forced errors to Gauff's 24. But only two of Gauff's unforced errors came in the third set, while Keys had 16. Gauff had a 75% win rate on her first serve and converted 53% of her break points for the match.
Advertisement
Gauff's best result at the French Open is a second-place finish in 2022 to Iga Świątek, who also beat her in last year's semifinals. Keys made it to the semifinals in 2018. Both players have one Grand Slam win to their name — Gauff the 2022 U.S. Open and Keys this year's Australian Open.
Boisson entered the event as the No. 361 ranked women's player, but has outplayed much higher-ranked opponents during her miraculous run to the semifinals. Before defeating No. 6 Mirra Andreeva in straight sets 7-6, 6-3 on Wednesday, Boisson also took down No. 3 Jessica Pegula earlier in the tournament.
Boisson — who is French — will have the hometown crowd behind her when she takes on Gauff in the semifinals on Thursday. The two have never faced each other in a head-to-head singles match.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
French Open: Aryna Sabalenka Says Title Would Mean The World To Her
PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 05: Aryna Sabalenka gives an on-court interview after her victory over Iga ... More Swiatek of Poland in the Women's Singles Semi Final match on Day Twelve of the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on June 05, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo by) World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka said winning the French Open title would 'mean the world' to her and her team after the Belarusian downed Iga Swiatek to reach her first final on the Parisian clay. Sabalenka is known as a hardcourt specialist, having won three Grand Slam titles on this surface – Australian Open (2023, 2024) and U.S. Open (2024). But the 27-year-old proved on Thursday that she can put up a challenge on clay after defeating claycourt queen Swiatek 7-6(1) 4-6 6-0 in the semifinals, ending the Pole's reign in the French capital, where she has won four titles. "I'm super happy with the win today and beating Iga at Roland Garros," Sabalenka said after her win. "It's just something unbelievable and something I'm super proud of, and yeah, just happy to get through this difficult match." Sabalenka needed two hours and 19 minutes to snap four-time champion Swiatek's 26-match winning streak at the event. Her victory over Swiatek was her tour-leading 40th main-draw win of this season, and she has won her last five Grand Slam semifinal matches. In Saturday's final, Sabalenka will face second-ranked Coco Gauff of the United States, as the World No. 1 and 2 players face off in a French Open final for the first time in more than a decade. Sabalenka and Gauff have a totally deadlocked head-to-head. They are 5-5 overall and 1-1 at Grand Slam events. Top-ranked Sabalenka knows she would need to play her best tennis and work for the title in Saturday's blockbuster clash. "It's going to mean everything to me and my team,' Sabalenka said when asked about the prospect of winning her maiden French Open title. 'Because I have to say that almost like the whole life I've been told where [clay] is not my thing and then I didn't have any confidence. "And in the past I don't know how many years, we've been able to develop my game so much, so I feel really comfortable on this surface and actually enjoy playing on clay. If I'll be able to get this trophy, it's just going to mean the world for us,' Aryna Sabalenka concluded.
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
French Open: No. 2 Coco Gauff faces No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the women's final
PARIS — The biggest difference Coco Gauff sees between the player who lost her first Grand Slam final at the 2022 French Open at age 18 , and the one who will play for the trophy again on Saturday at 21, this time against No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, is the way she views the importance of the occasion.
an hour ago
Teen girl testifies behind closed doors in Wander Franco trial in the Dominican Republic
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco appeared in court Thursday in the Dominican Republic in a sexual abuse case involving a teenage girl who testified behind closed doors. Prosecutors also privately disclosed audio and video related to the girl as evidence during the trial that began earlier this week. Franco's attorneys have argued that the evidence submitted by prosecutors has been manipulated and distorted. Little else was known about Thursday's proceedings because the press was not allowed in the courtroom for most of them. Franco, 24, faces charges of sexually abusing a minor, sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking. The girl was 14 years old. He was having an All-Star season in 2023 before officials in the Dominican Republic began investigating allegations that he had been in relationship with a minor and had paid her mother some $17,000 for consent. The girl's mother was charged with money laundering and is under house arrest. Franco, who was charged in July 2024 and is on supervised release, could face up to 30 years in prison if found guilty. He is currently on Major League Baseball's restricted list after initially being placed on administrative leave. The trial is expected to continue on Friday.
