Coco Gauff continues to cement her place among tennis’ rising legends, reaching a major career milestone at just 22 years old during her French Open title defense in Paris. With a straight-sets win over Egypt’s Mayar Sherif, Gauff became the youngest woman since 2008 to reach 80 Grand Slam match victories.
The achievement came on Court Suzanne Lenglen, where Gauff battled through a demanding second-round match before sealing a 6-3, 6-2 win to advance to the third round. While the scoreline suggests control, the reality on court told a more grinding story.
The match stretched across long rallies and frequent breaks of serve, with both players struggling to hold dominance. In total, there were 11 breaks across 17 games, turning the first set into a 71-minute test of patience and precision. Sherif pushed hard from the baseline, refusing to let Gauff settle into rhythm early on.
Even in the second set, Sherif kept pace at 2-2 before Gauff shifted gears. From that point, the American took full control, winning the final four games in a row to close out the match. She finished with a standout backhand winner down the line, capping a performance that balanced power with persistence.
Gauff ended the match with 23 winners and 23 unforced errors, while Sherif recorded 18 winners alongside 32 unforced errors, highlighting how tightly contested the match remained despite the straight-sets result.
Beyond the win itself, the match carried historical weight. The victory marked Gauff’s 80th career Grand Slam win, placing her in rare company. At 22, she becomes the youngest woman to reach that milestone since Maria Sharapova achieved the same feat at age 20 during the 2008 Australian Open.
The numbers also underline Gauff’s consistency across all four majors. Of her 80 Grand Slam wins, 29 have come at Roland Garros, making it her most successful Slam venue so far. She has also recorded 20 wins each at the Australian Open and US Open, along with 11 at Wimbledon.
The defending champion now moves deeper into the draw with growing confidence, although tougher challenges are ahead. Next up, Gauff is set to face either No. 28 seed Anastasia Potapova or Britain’s Katie Boulter, depending on the outcome of their second-round clash.
Her record against both opponents offers a mixed picture. Gauff holds a 2-2 head-to-head against Potapova but has lost their last two meetings. Against Boulter, she leads 2-1 and has won their most recent encounters.
As the French Open continues, Gauff’s milestone adds another layer to a career that is quickly moving from promising to historic, with each match in Paris pushing her further into tennis’ elite conversation.
