Last year, when Coco Gauff came into the Cincinnati Open, it was on the back of a whopping 23 double faults in a single match in Montreal. And while things started to look up on her way to the quarterfinal against Jasmine Paolini, it was soon clear that the situation was worse than she’d thought.
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The 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 defeat crushed her emotionally, a story Gauff was only able to reveal as she finally completed her redemption arc by lifting the Cincy trophy this year.
“I would like to thank God for just bringing me through this, these tough periods,” she said in her winning speech. “Last year, I was literally in the parking lot in tears, so it’s a big difference what a year can make. So, I thank him for pulling me through.”
The 22-year-old had defeated Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the Wimbledon quarterfinals this year which added a boost of confidence. With a dominant performance she wrapped up the match in just an hour and 14 minutes. She never trailed in the match and clinched five breaks in comparison to Pegula’s tally of two.
Going into the match, Gauff looked determined. She echoed last year’s aggressive movement and speed to clinch the first set. But in the second set, the Pegula regained her composure and fought back to win four games consecutively to challenge Gauff’s five game lead.
However, Gauff remained unfazed by the stress. This factor gave her the edge over Pegula as she won five out of six break points and closed out his compatriot 6-2, 6-4. The result saw Gauff equalize Pegula 5-5 in the H2H record.
“I think last year I was just frustrated with my game and I felt like I was declining, and you know, it’s not something any player wants to feel like,” she said during the press conference. “You always want to feel like you’re getting better, at the worst, like just plateauing. So last year I was in a weird predicament.”
Gauff’s ‘weird predicament’ was a result of her poor service game last season. She committed 16 double faults and a total of 62 unforced errors against Paolini. However, this year’s story was completely different.
Gauff had just one double fault and executed some flawless serves throughout the match. However, her baseline defense in the final set under pressure was something she will look to carry forward for the rest of her already positive season.
Can Coco Gauff’s Hard Court Prowess Lead Her to Another US Open Title?
Cincinnati Open has always been a step forward for the US Open title. And for Coco Gauff it is particularly true, as she lifted her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2023, right after her Cincinnati triumph.
A similar story can pan out this year given the form the 22-year-old has displayed across hard-court tournaments this year. Since the Australian Open, Gauff has been able to make it to the quarterfinals for six out of eight events on the surface.
She came very close to winning the title at this year’s Miami Open as well but Aryna Sabalenka edged past her in the final set.
But this wasn’t the case last year. She had a disappointing hard-court swing last season and suffered Round of 16 exits in both the Canadian and US Open. So, it’s not a surprise that a turnaround in form means so much to her.
A major catalyst for that change remains the hiring of Gavin Macmillan in the team. Macmillan is a biomechanics specialist, who helped Gauff work on her serve technique, which eventually led her to capitalize on what she thought was her biggest weakness.
The Cincinnati win saw Gauff become just the third player after Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams to capture two titles in Cincinnati. Now, Gauff will be entering the US Open not just with a newfound hope but also as one of the favorites for the women’s singles crown.