Coco Gauff defeats Mayar Sherif to reach third round at Roland Garros 2026

Coco Gauff defeated Mayar Sherif in straight sets after a demanding battle on Court Suzanne-Lenglen

Photo: Franco Arland/Getty Images

Coco Gauff continued her strong run at Roland Garros 2026 on Thursday, defeating Mayar Sherif 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the third round in Paris.

Despite the straight-sets scoreline, the match proved to be a demanding physical challenge for the American star. Sherif used high looping shots, extended rallies and relentless consistency to force Gauff into long exchanges under difficult heat conditions.

Gauff started aggressively and jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening set, but Sherif quickly responded and pushed the American through several marathon games. One game alone lasted more than 14 minutes and featured seven deuces.

Still, Gauff handled the pressure moments brilliantly.

The World No. 4 relied on her elite movement, defense and shotmaking to regain momentum, eventually closing the opening set with an ace after more than an hour of play.

The second set followed a similar pattern early on, with both players exchanging breaks. But Gauff gradually took control with her athleticism and aggressive baseline play.

She converted seven of her 16 break-point opportunities and finished the match with 23 winners, showing both consistency and controlled aggression throughout the contest.

After the match, Gauff praised Sherif’s competitiveness.

“She really makes you earn every point, especially on clay,” Gauff said.

 

The defending Roland Garros champion has now won 23 consecutive matches against players ranked outside the Top 100 and continues to build momentum in Paris.

Next, Gauff will face Anastasia Potapova in the third round as she continues her title defense.