On opening night at the US Open, Coco Gauff’s return to Arthur Ashe Stadium was anything but straightforward.
The 21-year-old, hailed as one of America’s brightest tennis stars, had to battle through nerves, errors, and a fearless opponent before narrowly scraping past Ajla Tomljanovic in a gripping three-set clash.
A Rocky Start for the US Open Champion
It didn’t take long for Gauff’s serve to betray her.
Just four points into the match, she hit her first double fault, immediately setting a shaky tone.
Tomljanovic, the 32-year-old veteran with nearly two decades of experience on the tour, was more than ready to capitalize on the early mistakes. Within minutes, Gauff was already trailing by two games.
The troubling performance echoed her recent outing in Cincinnati, where she produced an eye-watering 62 unforced errors in a shock defeat. Tuesday night in New York looked dangerously similar.
A New Voice in Her Corner
To address these recurring struggles, Gauff recently turned to Gavin MacMillan, a biomechanics expert who previously helped Aryna Sabalenka clean up her serve on the way to world No. 1.
Despite the fresh coaching input, the double faults kept coming — 10 in total — along with 59 unforced errors that left her gasping for stability throughout the night.
Turning Point in the First Set
Just when the crowd feared a collapse, Gauff’s fighting spirit emerged.
At 3-2 down, she dug deep in a long rally to earn break point before flipping the momentum back in her favor.
Slowly but surely, she steadied her groundstrokes, reduced the errors, and clawed her way to a 6-4 first set win.
But Tomljanovic refused to fade, answering with grit, heavy hitting, and a refusal to be overawed by the Arthur Ashe spotlight.
A Nerve-Wracking Second Set
The second set was a rollercoaster. Gauff surged ahead 4-2 and looked poised to close out the match, only to unravel with a costly double fault and netted volley.
Tomljanovic seized the chance, breaking serve and moving to 5-4 with the opportunity to serve out the set.
Though Gauff rallied to force a tiebreak, the errors returned at the worst possible moment.
She sprayed shot after shot wide and lost the breaker 7-2, dragging the contest into a tense deciding set.
Final Set Drama at Arthur Ashe
With the New York crowd urging her on, Gauff struck first in the third set with a stunning backhand down the line to break serve.
But the rhythm didn’t last long.
Just as quickly, she handed the break straight back, frustration written all over her face.
Both players traded breaks in a physically draining stanza until Gauff finally steadied herself, pulling ahead 5-4 with the chance to serve out the match.
Then disaster struck again — two consecutive double faults handed Tomljanovic a lifeline, tying things at 5-5.
In the end, Gauff called on every ounce of composure she had left.
Backed by a roaring home crowd, she fought through the tension, grabbed the final two games, and collapsed in relief after sealing a 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5 victory.
Concerns Despite the Win
While the win kept her title hopes alive, the performance left plenty of questions.
A total of 59 unforced errors is far from championship form, and the serve remains a glaring weakness despite recent adjustments.
Gauff’s coaching team, including MacMillan, will be eager to iron out the flaws before her second-round meeting with Croatia’s Donna Vekic later this week.
For now, though, the US Open crowd can breathe a sigh of relief — their home favorite is still standing, even if by the skin of her teeth.
