Aug. 27 (UPI) — Coco Gauff’s revamped serve disposed slower deliveries, but supreme athleticism and bustling backhands helped her survive her first foe at the 2025 U.S. Open.
Gauff needed nearly three hours to earn the 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5 victory over Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia on Tuesday in Flushing, N.Y. It was her first victory at a major since winning the 2025 French Open before losing in the first round of Wimbledon 2025.
“That match was what it was,” Gauff told reporters. “I’m so used to these long battles.”
Gauff, who led the WTA Tour with 430 double faults last season and owns the most (320) this season, said she had tough practice sessions this week, with her shoulder hurting from so many repetitions of her serve.
Her new serve coach, biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan, previously worked with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. The Belarusian led the WTA Tour in double faults from 2020 to 2023.
“It’s just tough, but I feel like it’s in the right direction,” Gauff said of her serve. “For me its about trying not to go back to old habits, in those tighter moments. … I knew when I did this I was not going to serve the best, but I felt like I didn’t want to waste any more time.”
Gauff totaled 10 double faults in Tuesday’s win. The highest-ranked (No. 3) American women’s or men’s player also fired four aces, 29 winners and broke her first-round foe eight times.
Tomljanovic, ranked No. 79, totaled two aces, seven double faults and 12 winners. She converted 6 of 10 break point opportunities against the American.
Gauff will take on No. 49 Donna Vekic of Croatia in her next match. The winner will meet No. 54 Peyton Stearns of the United States or No. 33 Magdalena Frech of Poland in the third round. Vekic advanced with a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over No. 40 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain.
No. 24 Naomi Osaka of Japan ousted No. 106 Greet Minnen of Belgium in straight sets in her first match. Osaka could face Gauff in the fourth round if both players win their next two matches. The four-time Grand Slam winner will first battle No. 47 Hailey Baptiste of the United States in her second-round match.
No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland, No. 9 Amanda Anisimova of the United States, No. 12 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia and No. 22 Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil were among the other notable women’s players to advance on Day 3 of the Grand Slam.
Top-ranked Jannik Sinner of Italy cruised to a 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 straight sets victory in his opener against No. 89 Vit Kopriva of the Czech Republic. No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany, No. 8 Alex de Minaur of Australia, No. 10 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy and No. 14 Tommy Paul of the United States were among the highest-ranked men’s players to advance Tuesday in Flushing.
Americans Taylor Fritz (No. 4), Ben Shelton (No. 6), Frances Tiafoe (No. 17) and Brandon Nakashima (No. 31), No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, No. 7 Novak Djokovic of Serbia, No. 11 Holger Rune of Denmark and No. 12 Casper Ruud of Norway will be the top men in action on Day 4.
Americans Jessica Pegula (No. 4) and Emma Navarro (No. 10), Sabalenka, No. 5 Mirra Andreeva of Russia, No. 7 Jasmine Paolini of Italy and No. 9 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan will be among the top women to watch Wednesday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Streaming coverage of the 2025 U.S. Open will air daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. EDT on ESPN+. Additional second-round coverage will air from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m, on ESPN.
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