(August 26, 2024) FLUSHING, NY – Defending champion Coco Gauff overcame a bit of a struggle in the first few games but went on to dominate France’s Varvara Gracheva 6-2, 6-0 in 66 minutes in the first round of the US Open on Monday.
The 20-year-old American had10 aces and hit 16 winners during the match and was 5 of 10 on break points.
“I thought I played well today,” Gauff said to media. “I served well. Can’t ask for a better start into this tournament, so hoping to continue to get better as the week, two weeks go by.
“This week I just felt like I was really finding my game. I was confident going in today. I knew based off how I was practicing I can find my game regardless of the scoreline. Then it’s just about executing.”
It’s a diffent type of pressure coming in as the defending champion:
“Perspective,” said Gauff. “I think just realizing that there’s probably more pressure on, I don’t know, maybe trying to win one than maybe defending one, I guess, I don’t know. I actually just put perspective. The last couple of weeks were tough, and I was, like, I have to do this and do that, but I don’t have to prove anything to anyone except myself. So this whole week or two weeks are just about proving all the expectations that I have on myself.
“So, yeah, I think just learning and just realizing that I have a lot left to give this game, and whether that’s going to happen this year or in the future, I have many more years coming back here, and I’m not gonna win every year. So I think just that perspective and just having the belief that I can but not the expectation that I should.”
Gauff, despite a challenging summer where she did not defend her Cincinnati title, she come in with a calm mindset:”I think even-keeled, just focusing on the match in front of me and not looking too far ahead or too far behind. Obviously getting through the first round like this is good.
“Last year I had three sets in my first round here, so it kind of just really doesn’t matter. I mean, I’ve learned that you can start a tournament, doesn’t mean how you’re necessarily going to finish and vice versa. I think just staying in the moment.”
More to follow….
