Coco Gauff made a confident start to her US Open campaign, overcoming Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday to move into the second round at Flushing Meadows.
The fourth-seeded American arrived in New York full of confidence after winning the Cincinnati Open and quickly showed why she is among the leading contenders for another Grand Slam title.
Playing under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Gauff controlled the opening set with little trouble. She secured the only break of serve and wrapped up the first set in just over 30 minutes.
Sonmez, ranked 53rd in the world, showed plenty of quality despite falling behind. The 24-year-old produced several impressive winners and began putting Gauff under greater pressure in the second set.
After Gauff opened the set with a break, Sonmez responded immediately and levelled the match at 1-1. The Turkish player continued to challenge Gauff from the baseline and used several trips to the net to disrupt the American’s rhythm.
Gauff found herself in a difficult position at 3-2, facing three break points. However, she held her nerve to save all three and level the set before breaking Sonmez in the following game to regain control at 4-3.
From there, Gauff closed out the match without further trouble to secure a straight-sets victory.
“I know that I can raise my level if I need to,” Gauff said after the match.
The 22-year-old also admitted she was surprised by how relaxed she felt returning to the court where she won her first US Open title in 2023.
“I wasn’t that nervous today, which was a shock,” she said. “When I walked back out on this court, I was trying to hold back a smile.”
Gauff’s latest victory continues an impressive run at Flushing Meadows. She has now reached at least the fourth round at the US Open in each of the past four years and is hoping to go deep again as she targets a second title in New York.
The American will face either Daria Kasatkina or Paula Badosa in the second round.
With her Cincinnati triumph still fresh and her confidence growing, Gauff has made an encouraging start to her latest bid for Grand Slam glory.
