By HOWARD FENDRICH
Coco Gauff’s first match since enlisting somebody to assist along with her shaky serving acquired off to a rocky begin at the U.S. Open on Tuesday night time. She double-faulted within the very first recreation — and a complete of 10 instances. She acquired damaged in that recreation, too — and a complete of six instances.
Coco Gauff competes within the 1st spherical of the 2025 U.S. Open tennis championships on the USTA Billie Jean King Nationwide Tennis Middle in Flushing New York on August 26, 2025. (Andrew Schwartz/New York Every day Information)
The one numbers that actually counted ultimately, after all, had been those on the Arthur Ashe Stadium scoreboard, and people confirmed that the No. 3-seeded Gauff held on for a 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-5 victory over Ajla Tomljanovic to achieve the second spherical at Flushing Meadows.
“It wasn’t the best,” Gauff mentioned, “but I’m happy to get through.”
Nothing got here simply. Gauff twice led by a break within the second set however couldn’t finish issues. She went up 5-3 within the third and served for the victory at 5-4, however double-faulted twice in a row and missed a pair of forehands to make it 5-all.
Coco Gauff competes within the 1st spherical of the 2025 U.S. Open tennis championships on the USTA Billie Jean King Nationwide Tennis Middle in Flushing New York on August 26, 2025. (Andrew Schwartz/New York Every day Information)
That might have been an excessive amount of to take. As an alternative, Gauff steadied herself, broke proper again, then was capable of serve it out on her second probability to take action, almost three full hours after the competition started.
“I had so many chances. … I was just like, ‘Eventually, one of these is going to go my way,’” she mentioned.
Gauff, who gained the primary of her two Grand Slam titles on the 2023 U.S. Open as a young person, added Gavin MacMillan to her teaching staff shortly earlier than the beginning of this event. MacMillan is a biomechanics skilled who helped present No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka retool her serve just a few years in the past, and he was within the first row of Gauff’s visitor field, seated proper in entrance of her mom.
After beating Tomljanovic, Gauff known as her practices with MacMillan “really tough” and “mentally exhausting.”
“I’m trying to improve with each match,” she mentioned.
The issue for Gauff, in a nutshell, has been a propensity to build up double-faults. Her 320 coming into the U.S. Open had been probably the most on the ladies’s tour this season — and greater than 100 greater than anybody else. That included 23 in a single match earlier this month, then 14 the subsequent trip.
Coco Gauff competes within the 1st spherical of the 2025 U.S. Open tennis championships on the USTA Billie Jean King Nationwide Tennis Middle in Flushing New York on August 26, 2025. (Andrew Schwartz/New York Every day Information)
On Tuesday, as she handled the work-in-progress of a tweaked service movement, Gauff started with a lot slower choices than she’s able to putting. Because the match progressed, and the stress rose, the 21-year-old from Florida reverted to her customary tempo, going from averaging simply 88 mph on first serves within the first set, to 97 mph within the second and 101 within the third, when Ashe’s retractable roof was closed. She cranked one in at 117 mph and even produced one second-serve ace.
What gained this one towards the 79th-ranked Tomljanovic, an Australian finest recognized for defeating Serena Williams on the 2022 U.S. Open within the 23-time main champion’s last match of her profession, was Gauff’s exemplary courtroom protection and terrific backhand. Appropriately, a down-the-line backhand transformed match level, and Gauff waved her arms overhead to rile up the group.
Whilst Tomljanovic swung away on her large forehand, it was Gauff who acquired the perfect of their prolonged exchanges from the baseline.
She additionally fared properly when she pressed ahead, successful 12 of the 15 factors she ended on the internet, together with one with a leaping, over-the-shoulder, back-to-the-net volley winner within the third set
This was Gauff’s first match at a Slam since stumbling to a first-round exit at Wimbledon in July, a setback that adopted her championship on the French Open in June.
As Gauff strikes ahead at Flushing Meadows, there’s a probability she will overtake Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek within the rankings and rise to No. 1 for the primary time.
