Coco Gauff, the defending champion, views this year’s US Open as a “victory lap” after a convincing win against Varvara Gracheva in the opening match.
In just 66 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the 20-year-old Gauff started her title defense with a 6-2 6-0 victory.
Last year, she secured her first Grand Slam title by defeating Aryna Sabalenka, followed by reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open and French Open this year.
Despite recent challenges, including early exits at tournaments in Cincinnati and Toronto, Gauff expressed that her performance against Gracheva was “the best tennis I have played in a while.”
She mentioned that a TikTok comment from a fan had shifted her mindset as she approached the US Open.
During her on-court interview, Gauff shared, “On my TikTok, someone commented that I’ve achieved success in both literal and figurative terms, and there’s no need to add pressure during a victory lap.”
She explained, “I’m approaching this tournament with that perspective, and defending a title means you have already achieved success.”
