Coco Gauff secured a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Karolina Muchova in the fourth round of the 2026 Australian Open, improving her head-to-head record to 5-0. The win marks her third consecutive quarterfinal appearance in Melbourne and her 10th career Grand Slam quarterfinal. Gauff will next face Elina Svitolina.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff overcame a competitive challenge from Karolina Muchova to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open on January 25, 2026. The No. 3 seed dominated the first set, racing to a 6-1 lead after breaking Muchova four times. Muchova responded in the second set, exchanging early breaks before securing a 6-3 win, marking the first set she has taken against Gauff in five meetings.
In the decisive third set, Gauff won 12 of 13 points from 1-all to build a 4-1 advantage, ultimately closing out the match 6-3 in under two hours. A highlight came early in the first set when Gauff dazzled the crowd with a no-look, cross-court forehand pass to save a point. She converted 50% of her break-point opportunities, going 4-for-8, while Muchova succeeded on 2 of 5.
Post-match, Gauff reflected on her career trajectory and the evolving tour landscape. "Honestly, I find it more of a relief now that younger players are doing better," she said. "When I was 15, there weren’t many people around my age, so it was very lonely for me." She noted that recent seasons have been among her happiest, despite inconsistent results, thanks to more peers her age on tour. "Even though the tennis has been up and down, you see more friendly faces in the locker room that you can actually be with."
Gauff, who burst onto the scene at 14 in 2018, has now reached Grand Slam quarterfinals in six straight years, the youngest to do so since Martina Hingis and Venus Williams. She holds a 2-1 edge over upcoming opponent Elina Svitolina. This victory extends her streak to 41 consecutive Grand Slam wins when capturing the opening set.
