Coco Gauff reaches 2026 US Open quarter-finals: beating Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-4 and the world No.1 chase

New York — Coco Gauff produced her most complete performance of the 2026 US Open, defeating Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-4 in 80 minutes to reach the quarter-finals. Gauff hit 18 winners and made 15 unforced errors, while Jovic had nine winners and 30 unforced errors. Gauff has now won 20 consecutive sets and nine straight matches since her Cincinnati title. She will face fifth seed Mirra Andreeva, the French Open champion, next. Gauff leads the head-to-head 5-0. A US Open title would give Gauff her third Grand Slam and a potential world No.1 ranking, depending on Elena Rybakina's result. Biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan played a key role in rebuilding Gauff's serve and sharpening her early-ball attacking game. The quarter-final against Andreeva will test whether Gauff's aggressive hard-court strategy can withstand a defence-first opponent in a full Arthur Ashe Stadium.