(September 1, 2026) FLUSHING MEADOWS, NY- Coco Gauff began her quest for another US Open title on Tuesday night with a decisive 6-3, 6-4 win over Zeynep Sonmez in an hour and 20 minutes.
The No. 4 seed admitted that she wasn’t nervous about the match, beginning with the walk on.
“Actually, I wasn’t that nervous today, which was a shock,” Gauff said. “When I walked out on the court to warm up, I was trying to hold back a smile. It’s incredible to be back on this court. … It’s never something I take for granted, and I love playing in this atmosphere.”
The first set was straightforward for the 2023 champion, but it tightened up in the second set when her Turkish opponent broke her serve, and the American raised her level.
“I was just trying not to panic,” Gauff said when she was down 3-2. “She started coming to the net and playing great tennis. I know that I can raise my level if I need to, and I like to challenge my opponent, to let them keep up that level the whole match. If they do, I clap my hands and walk off court with my head held high, but I was able to settle down.”
