Let the record show that four days into the Miami Open, at 3:04 p.m. Eastern Time, Coco Gauff lost her first game of the tournament. But after a dominant 6-0, 6-0 opening-round win over Sofia Kenin in just 47 minutes, the No. 3-seeded Gauff faced a much tougher test in longtime rival Maria Sakkari on Saturday.
In what was their 10th career meeting, Gauff secured a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Sakkari to advance to the Round of 16 at the Miami Open. The win evens their head-to-head record at 5-5, with Gauff also having defeated Sakkari earlier this month at Indian Wells in straight sets, 7-6(1), 6-2.
While Gauff’s dominant opener provided a confidence boost, she admitted she tried to put it behind her and approach the match against Sakkari with a fresh mindset. The same went for her recent victory over the Greek star in California.
At just 21 years old, Gauff has now become the youngest player to reach back-to-back Round of 16 appearances at the Miami Open since Garbiñe Muguruza in 2012 and 2013. She has also matched her best performance at this event, having previously reached the Round of 16 in 2022 and 2024.
For Sakkari, the match was another frustrating chapter in her recent struggles. A Top 10 player as recently as September, she has since slipped to No. 51 in the PIF WTA Rankings. After defeating Lucia Bronzetti in her opening match, Sakkari had hoped to win consecutive matches for the first time since the 2024 Paris Olympics and for the first time on hard court since last year’s Miami Open. However, she has now lost 12 of her past 13 matches against Top 10 opponents.
Gauff will next face Magda Linette, who edged past qualifier Linda Fruhvirtova, in a Round of 16 showdown on Monday.
