Coco Gauff secured a straight-sets victory against Donna Vekić in the US Open second round on Thursday, but the 7-6(5), 6-2 scoreline belied a significant on-court struggle.
The world No. 3 was brought to tears during a turbulent first set, visibly grappling with the pressure and a faltering serve. However, Gauff demonstrated her characteristic resilience to battle through the difficult moments and clinch the win.
During an emotional post-match interview on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Gauff thanked legendary gymnast Simone Biles, who was watching from the stands. Biles has been a vocal advocate for mental health, openly discussing her own struggles with performance anxiety, and Gauff cited her as a crucial source of inspiration.
“If she can go on a six-inch beam and do that under all the pressure of the world, then I can hit the ball on this court,” Gauff said. “It brought me a little bit of calm, just knowing her story with all the things she went through mentally. She’s an inspiration for sure, and her presence definitely did help me today.”
The first set was challenging for Gauff, who was broken in three consecutive service games. After a double fault, she was seen crying into her towel during a changeover. These service issues are part of a larger pattern; Gauff has been working with biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan to fix a motion that has produced a tour-leading 320 double faults this season, eight of which occurred against Vekić.
“It’s been tough doing it all over and kind of refactoring everything, a motion that I knew very well,” she told reporters. “But I know for the future this is the right step forward.”
Gauff admitted the pressure of being a home favorite at the tournament contributed to her feeling overwhelmed, at times shaking in her chair between points.
“I think it was just nerves and just pressure, honestly,” she explained. “There’s been a lot on me this tournament, more than usual, which I expected coming in. It was a challenging moment for me on the court… I’m just happy to get through it today.”
After managing to win the first-set tiebreak, Gauff appeared more composed and comfortably closed out the second set. She will now face Poland’s Magdalena Fręch on Saturday as she continues her campaign for a second US Open title.
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