After disappointing results at Wimbledon and the Olympics, Coco Gauff has made a strong start to her title defense at the US Open.
Gauff opened play Monday with a 6-2, 6-0 first-round victory over France’s Varvara Gracheva at Flushing Meadows.
The match wasn’t as lopsided as the score. Gracheva pressed in each of Gauff’s first three service games, forcing six break points. But Gauff survived them all, breaking Gracheva twice en route to winning the first set.
Gauff then broke Gracheva’s first service game of the second set to take complete control of the match, with Gracheva failing to win a single game.
After the match, Gauff spoke about the pressure he felt to return to the US Open as the reigning champion.
“If you defend something, that means you won something,” Gauff said. “If you did it, that means you can do it again. Whether I do it again this year or not, I’m going to do it again. Whether it’s 2024 or not, I’m going to do it again.”
Gauff claimed victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the site of her last US Open win — a three-set thriller against Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s championship final. The victory secured Gauff’s first career Grand Slam title and catapulted the once-rising star to certified stardom at age 19.
Gauff achieved her career-best performance at the Australian Open with a trip to the semifinals in January. She then reached the semifinals at the French Open and won her first Grand Slam doubles title at Roland Garros, playing with Czech Katerina Siniakova.
She entered Wimbledon as number 2, but lost in straight sets to her compatriot and number 19 Emma Navarro in the fourth round. She then lost in the third round of the Olympic Games in an emotional match against Donna Vekić of Croatia.
The loss did not dampen her Olympic spirit. Gauff was voted by fellow U.S. Olympians to be the country’s flag bearer for the opening ceremony, along with LeBron James. She wore an Olympic rings pendant around her neck during Monday’s U.S. Open match.
She enters the second round with a strong victory under her belt as number 3. She will face Tatjana Maria from Germany in the second round on Wednesday.
Sloane Stephens loses 6-0, 3-0 lead
The first day did not go so well for Sloane Stephens, the winner of the 2017 US Open. She took a 6-0, 3-0 lead over France’s Clara Burel, but lost the match.
Stephens appeared to be in complete control under the primetime lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium as she won the first nine games of the first round. But once Burel got on the board, the match took a dramatic turn in her favor. She won seven of the next nine games to force a deciding third set.
Both players took a break after the second set, and Stephens seemed to have recovered after a trip to the locker room. She broke Burel’s opening serve of the third set and held on for a 2-0 lead. But Burel fought back in a final set with six breaks.
Burel broke Stephens’ second serve to tie the set at 2-2. Stephens broke back for a 3-2 lead. Burel would break again to tie the set at 4-4. Stephens did the same with another break to serve for the match, making it 5-4.
But Burel responded once again with the match on the line to level it at 5-5. Stephens had no more breaks. Burel won the last two games to secure a 0-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory and stun the American in a matchup of unseeded players.
Other notable US results from Monday
In the match not involving Gauff and involving an American woman, 14th-seeded Madison Keys defeated Siniakova 6-4, 6-1.
In the men’s event, unseeded American Brandon Nakashima defeated 15th-seeded Holger Rune (Denmark) in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. 12th-seeded Taylor Fritz defeated Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli (7-5, 6-1, 6-2) and 13th-seeded Ben Shelton defeated Austria’s Dominic Thiem (6-4, 6-4, 6-2) in Theim’s last US Open. Thiem announced in May that he would retire at the end of the 2024 season.
In one of the day’s matches, Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech won via a tiebreak in an exciting match: 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8) against American Christopher Eubanks.
