New York, Sep 2: Coco Gauff, seeded No. 4, showcased her exceptional skills by defeating Zeynep Sonmez with a score of 6-3, 6-4, securing her place in the second round of the US Open.
The 22-year-old American, participating in her eighth US Open main draw, entered this year’s tournament as a strong contender, following impressive performances that included semifinal finishes at Wimbledon and Toronto, along with a title win in Cincinnati.
After winning the Cincinnati Open in 2023, Gauff went on to clinch her first Grand Slam title at that year’s US Open, and she added another major trophy at Roland Garros in 2025.
In her opening service game, Gauff recorded two aces and a service winner, dominating her next two service games. She broke Sonmez to lead 4-2 and maintained her advantage to take the first set in just 32 minutes.
Sonmez, ranked No. 53 in the world, raised her level in the second set, aggressively approaching the net and recovering from an early break. She created three break points, but Gauff saved them all, eventually breaking Sonmez again to secure a 4-3 lead that she would not give up.
With this win, Gauff keeps her hopes alive to finish the tournament as the world’s No. 1 singles player. Previously, she reached No. 2 in June 2024. If successful, she would be the first woman to achieve the top ranking in both singles and doubles since Aryna Sabalenka, who became the top doubles player in February 2021 and reached No. 1 in singles in September 2023. Gauff had already reached No. 1 in doubles in August 2022.
Gauff’s next challenge will be a highly anticipated second-round match against either Paula Badosa, a former world No. 2 and 2024 US Open quarterfinalist, or Daria Kasatkina, a former world No. 8 and 2022 French Open semifinalist.
Earlier, No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva began her campaign at Flushing Meadows with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory over world No. 36 Janice Tjen, marking her advancement to the second round for the fourth consecutive year.
At just 19 years old, Andreeva boasts a remarkable 14-1 record in first-round Grand Slam matches. She aims to enhance her performance at the US Open, having reached the second week in every other Grand Slam but never advancing past the third round in New York.