MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Coco Gauff wants those people posing questions to her about the teenagers breaking through at the Australian Open to remember one thing: She’s 21.
The 18-year-old Iva Jovic will be playing No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park. That's after Sabalenka, a two-time champion in Australia, beat 19-year-old Vicky Mboko on Sunday in the fourth round.
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Iva Jovic of the U.S. plays a forehand return to Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Iva Jovic of the U.S. celebrates after defeating Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. celebrates after defeating Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. signs autographs after defeating Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. plays a backhand return to Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
“The way people ask the questions make it seem like I’m way older than,” the teenagers, Gauff said. “I have been around longer, obviously, but yeah, they’re always, like, ‘Do you have any advice to give them?’
“I’m, like, you guys, these are, like, my peers. We are the same. We are hanging out,” she added for effect, smiling. “We’re in the same age group.”
Gauff has been on tour for more than five years — she made a stunning Grand Slam debut as a qualifier at Wimbledon against five-time champion Venus Williams when she was 15 — but she's still among the younger pros. She won her first major title at 19.
Seeded No. 3 and a two-time major winner, Gauff reached the quarterfinals in Australia for the third straight year with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win Sunday over No. 19 Karolina Muchova.
She's gone on to win the title each of the previous four times she's beaten Muchova, including the 2023 U.S. Open, her maiden Grand Slam title. When she was still a teenager.
Three teenagers played in fourth-round matches Sunday, but only Jovic advanced — 6-0, 6-1 over Yulia Putintseva.
Mboko troubled Sabalenka in the second set but lost 6-1, 7-6 (1). In the last match of Day 8, the 18-year-old, eighth-seeded Mirra Andreeva lost 6-2, 6-4 to 31-year-old Elina Svitolina, who reached the Grand Slam quarterfinals for the 14th time. That will be against Gauff, who is into the last 8 for the 10th time.
Gauff said she found it difficult when she was adjusting from juniors to the professional ranks, because some players don't talk or even say hi.
So, she makes a point of greeting the newbies, making them feel welcome.
“Just saying hi or saying good luck," Gauff said. "And then you start to talk and then you become friends, and it’s cool.”
In the case of Jovic, who is playing just her sixth Grand Slam tournament and making her first run past the second round, Gauff has a sister-like affinity.
“Yeah, she’s the age of my little brother,” Gauff said. "I do feel older than them. That’s for sure. I don’t feel the exact same, but I don’t feel as old as people make it seem.
“I have talked to Iva a couple of times. I have never talked to her about advice or anything — I feel like she has such a good head on her shoulders. I don’t think she needs that.”
Gauff had few peers when she was starting out, saying it was “very lonely for me, honestly.”
And while she's friends with the likes of Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova, sometimes she doesn't “connect” on everything, so she still likes to hang out with a younger crowd sometimes.
“We’re interested in the same things and stuff like that, but it’s always funny when people ask me the question," about the up-and-coming teens, she said. "I usually don’t have anything to say, because I’m still figuring out, just like they are.
“So it’s great to have, like, more people of my age range doing better. I feel like maybe last two years on tour have been some of my happiest, even though maybe the tennis has been up and down, just because you see more friendly faces in the locker room.”
Jovic is likely to be around for a while. She said last year she wanted to take on No. 1-ranked Sabalenka because she wanted to test her level. After her best run at a major to date, she gets the chance.
“Obviously, the Slams are where you want to do well," she said. “Being here in a Slam just gives me belief that I can be at the, you know, highest level of tennis. And, hopefully, be consistently having these results.”
Iva Jovic of the U.S. plays a forehand return to Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Iva Jovic of the U.S. celebrates after defeating Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. celebrates after defeating Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. signs autographs after defeating Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. plays a backhand return to Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
DENVER (AP) — Drake Maye handled the sloppy, snowy conditions better than the home team and he scored New England’s only touchdown on a 6-yard keeper, propelling the Patriots to their 12th Super Bowl with a 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship on Sunday.
Maye threw for just 86 yards, but ran for 65 and iced the win with a 7-yard keeper on third-and-5 in the waning minutes to send the Patriots (17-3) to the Super Bowl in Mike Vrabel's first year as coach.
The Patriots will play the winner of the NFC championship game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.
“I’m just proud of this team,” said the 23-year-old Maye, who's the second-youngest starting quarterback to reach the Super Bowl, behind only Miami's Dan Marino. “Don’t have many words. Just thankful for this team. Love each and every one of them. It took everybody.”
Christian Gonzalez intercepted Jarrett Stidham, starting in place of an injured Bo Nix, with 2:11 remaining for New England’s second takeaway. The first set up the Patriots with a short field and led to Maye’s touchdown scamper that tied it at 7 heading into halftime.
With Nix looking on from a suite following ankle surgery Tuesday in Alabama, Stidham made his first start in more than two years. His first completion since the 2023 regular-season finale was a 52-yard dart to Marvin Mims Jr. to the New England 7 that set up Courtland Sutton’s 6-yard touchdown catch.
That was Stidham’s highlight as he turned the ball over twice and finished 17 of 31 for 133 yards with the TD.
“I was super excited for the opportunity and just hate that we fell short,” Stidham said.
New England, which went 4-13 last year under Jerod Mayo, became the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a conference championship with 10 points or less. Buffalo beat Denver 10-7 in the 1991 AFC title game, and the Los Angeles beat Tampa Bay 9-0 in the 1979 NFC championship game.
Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a playmaking linebacker for the Patriots, could become the first person in NFL history to also win as a head coach for the same franchise.
“I won’t win it. It’ll be the players that’ll win the game,” Vrabel said. “I promise you, it won’t be me that’ll win it, and I promise you that I’ll do everything I can, and our staff, to have them ready for the game.”
The Broncos (15-4) finished one step shy of fulfilling Sean Payton’s preseason prediction of a trip to Super Bowl 60, and he pointed the finger right at himself.
He said he regretted his call on fourth-and-1 from the New England 14 in the second quarter when a chip-shot field goal before the snow came in would have given Denver a double-digit lead. Stidham’s throw to running back R.J. Harvey was incomplete and the Broncos' early momentum vanished.
“There’s always regrets,” Payton said. “Yeah, I mean, look, I felt like here we are, fourth-and-1. We felt close enough ... So, yeah, there’ll always be second thoughts.”
The Broncos were left clinging to a 7-0 lead that was short-lived. Elijah Ponder recovered Stidham’s backward pass at the Denver 12, setting up the tying touchdown two plays later.
“I thought I threw it forward and obviously the replay said differently.,” Stidham said. “Probably should have just eaten the sack and let (Jeremy) Crawshaw punt the ball and flip the field.”
Both kickers missed two field goals in the frigid conditions with Denver’s Wil Lutz and New England’s Andy Borregales wide on long tries just before the snow came in at halftime. Lutz also had 45-yard attempt late in the fourth quarter tipped by Leonard Taylor III.
The Patriots’ victory was their 40th in the playoffs, breaking a tie with the San Francisco 49ers for the most in NFL history.
It was sunny at kickoff with a temperature of 26 degrees, but by halftime the snowflakes began falling and grounds crews had to use snowblowers to mark the hashmarks and yard lines by the fourth quarter, when it was 16 degrees.
“What an atmosphere out here,” Maye said. “Battle of the elements. Love this team. How about the defense? I love each and every one of them.”
The Patriots have allowed 26 points across three playoff games. The only team to allow fewer points over three playoff games before a Super Bowl appearance was the 2000 Ravens, who allowed just 16 points.
After gaining just 72 yards in the first half, the Patriots opened the second half in swirling snow with a 16-play, 64-yard drive that ate up 9 1/2 minutes and ended with a 23-yard field goal by Borregales that proved the difference.
Stidham, who was drafted by the Patriots in 2019, made his first start since the 2023 regular-season finale. The Broncos were the only team in the league that didn’t give their backup QB any snaps or handoffs the last two seasons.
Nix, who had 11 game-winning drives in his first two NFL seasons, got hurt on Denver’s final drive in overtime against Buffalo last week. But he didn’t come out of the game and the extent of his injury — a broken right ankle — wasn’t known until he went for X-rays after the 33-30 win.
The Patriots have averaged 18 points per game in the playoffs, the fewest by any team to make the Super Bowl since the 1979 Rams, who averaged 15.
“I'll take an ugly win before I take a pretty loss,” Diggs said. "Nobody's satisfied. Happy, but not complacent. We’re blessed to be where we are, but we know there’s more out there for us.”
Patriots: LB Robert Spillane (ankle) left in the first quarter.
Broncos: WR Pat Bryant left with a hamstring injury in the second quarter.
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This story has been corrected to show Maye ran for 65 yards and not 68.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel celebrates with the trophy after the AFC Championship NFL football game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/John Locher)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye celebrates with the trophy after the AFC Championship NFL football game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/John Locher)
New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez celebrate after an interception against the Denver Broncos during the second the half of the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Garrett W. Ellwood)
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel looks on during the first half of the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton watches during the second the half of the AFC Championship NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham New England Patriots during the first the half of the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/John Locher)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye runs against the Denver Broncos during the second the half of the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Garrett W. Ellwood)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) hands off against the Denver Broncos during the second half of the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
