Coco Gauff has been no stranger to drama at the US Open this week.
After barely scraping through her first-round match, the 21-year-old returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday night, only to face more turbulence.
The theme of double faults and unforced errors that haunted her earlier seemed to shadow her again, testing both her nerves and composure.
Tears and Turmoil Early On
The match against Croatia’s Donna Vekic quickly turned into an emotional rollercoaster.
Consecutive double faults left Gauff facing a gut-wrenching break, trailing 5-4 in the opening set.
Overwhelmed, she covered her face with a towel, visibly distraught on the sidelines.
With the recent addition of Gavin MacMillan—the biomechanics expert famed for fixing Aryna Sabalenka’s serve—the situation was not supposed to escalate like this.
A Pause and a Chance
Gauff was given a moment to regroup when Vekic called a lengthy medical timeout to treat a shoulder issue.
Yet when play resumed, it was Vekic who faltered first, gifting Gauff a break and leveling the set at 5-5. Just as the momentum seemed to shift, two more consecutive double faults set Coco back again, leaving her on the brink at 6-5.
Rising to the Challenge
But Gauff refused to fold. Drawing on her resilience and champion mentality, she clawed back to 6-6 and ultimately took the tiebreak, showing the grit that earned her the French Open crown.
The second set saw a dramatically different performance, with Gauff dominating 6-2 as Vekic struggled to maintain composure.
Emotions Spill Over Post-Match
The emotional strain was palpable. On-court after her victory, Gauff broke down again, admitting: “Today was a really tough match for me.
It’s been a rough couple of weeks.”
The tennis world remains unsure what exactly has been troubling her, but the second set’s display suggests that confidence is slowly returning.
Signs of Improvement
While her first-round clash saw a worrying 59 unforced errors against Ajla Tomljanovic, Gauff cut that number down to 18 against Vekic—a significant step forward.
Her double faults, however, remained an issue, with eight in total, including the pivotal consecutive mistakes that threatened to cost her the match.
Looking Ahead
Vekic herself struggled, committing 36 unforced errors.
Once Gauff settled in during the second set, she controlled rallies with precision, forcing errors from her opponent and steadily asserting dominance.
Even in her win, she wasn’t at her peak, but the commanding 6-2 set offers encouragement heading into her third-round match this weekend.
The path ahead may still be challenging, but Coco Gauff has shown she can weather the storm and emerge stronger.
