In her first Grand Slam match since a deflating U.S. Open title defense, Coco Gauff overcame patchy serving to sweep Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-3 in the Australian Open first round.
The No. 3 seed Gauff committed at least one double fault in seven of her nine service games, yet was only broken once in a meeting of the two most recent American major champions. She had difficulty seeing the ball on one end of the court due to sunlight.
“It was a tough match for me today,” said Gauff, who lost to the 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin in their last meeting in the 2023 Wimbledon first round. “I knew going in it was going to be difficult, but I’m happy with how I played.”
Last September, Gauff lost in the U.S. Open fourth round to Emma Navarro after recording 19 double faults, tying her career high. She had the most double faults on tour in 2024 and called the problem “a mental hurdle.”
AUSTRALIAN OPEN DRAWS: Women | Men
“I don’t want to lose matches like this anymore,” she said then.
Seventeen days later, it was announced that Gauff had split from coach Brad Gilbert, ending a year-plus relationship that helped yield her first Slam title at the 2023 U.S. Open.
Gauff added Matt Daly to a coaching team that already included Jean-Christophe Faurel.
Since, Gauff has won 19 of 21 matches, including two victories over Iga Swiatek and one over Aryna Sabalenka. She captured titles at the China Open, the WTA Finals and then the United Cup team event to start this season.
Gauff’s serve has still been a problem at times, but she has taken satisfaction in making herself uncomfortable on court by changing her habits. That included a new grip.
“I have a bit more tools to work with,” she said before the Australian Open. “Also I think just going for my shots more, being more OK with missing, taking chances. Before, I feel like I won a lot of matches just being able to get a lot of balls back. I realized that’s not the way to play if I want to have more success on tour because girls are hitting harder and harder every day, being more aggressive.”
In the second round on Wednesday, Gauff gets Brit Jodie Burrage, who is playing on a protected ranking of 85th.
If seeds hold, Gauff would play the two-time defending champion Sabalenka in the semifinals. Gauff defeated Sabalenka in the 2023 U.S. Open final, then fell to the Belarusian in the 2024 Australian Open semifinals.
After the WTA Finals, the world No. 3 Gauff was asked if the No. 1 ranking was on her mind.
“I’ve never been a ranking-focused person,” she said. “I just want Slams.”
