For much of last year, Coco Gauff was still trying to figure out how far she was from reaching her full potential. In December 2025, she even admitted she felt there was still a lot to improve, and she was determined to keep working at it. But this year, Gauff has looked like a different player altogether.
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When Gauff stepped onto the court this time, she looked less nervous, more confident, and far more comfortable under the Flushing Meadows spotlight.
And the home crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium had plenty to smile about as their favorite got her US Open campaign off to a smooth start. The in-form fourth seed brushed aside Zeynep Sonmez in straight sets in the first round, but for Gauff, the biggest difference wasn’t found in her tactics or shot-making. It was in her head.
“Um, actually, I wasn’t that nervous today, which is a shock,” said Gauff in her on-court interview. “Um, when I walked out on the court, I was uh on the warm-up, I was trying to hold back a smile. Um, yeah, it’s incredible to be back on this court. Thank you guys. It’s uh never something, it’s never something I take for granted and I love playing in this atmosphere.”
However, starting confidently at the US Open has another significance for Gauff, who plays under massive expectations in New York, especially since her title win in 2023. The American did not have the best of times on court at her home Major in the last two years, with the pressure of defending her crown limiting her in 2024, and the added pressure of her serve issues last year, which saw making a big coaching change just before the tournament.
However, despite coming into the tournament as a favorite, Gauff has had difficult first-round matches at the US Open. Last year, she had to dig deep against Ajla Tomljanovic in the first round and win in a three-set classic. However, Gauff’s emotional strain became apparent in her next match, when she was in tears after a tough match against Donna Vekic.
But Gauff has gradually learned to handle the disappointment that comes with losses at Flushing Meadows without letting it overwhelm her. After her Round of 16 defeat to Naomi Osaka at last year’s US Open, she broke down in tears but still managed to focus on the positives.
“It’s disappointing, for sure. It was not the level I wanted to bring. But it is a step in the right direction,” Gauff said after the loss. She later added, “It definitely is a lot of positive things. I think if I kept the way I was going in Cincinnati, to here, I would have been out in the first round. So, I think where my serve started from the start of the tournament to today was a big improvement. Now I just have to get everything to work together.”
This year, though, the 22-year-old arrived at Flushing Meadows with a different kind of confidence. Her Cincinnati Masters title had given her a major boost, and perhaps that is why she looked far more in control when she stepped onto the court for her opening-round match.
Given how the other home favorites have struggled to remain relaxed before their tournament openers, Gauff’s first-round composure was even more impressive. Her compatriot, Jessica Pegula, admitted to being nervous in her first-round match, which was evident as the American struggled to convert break points and took some time to get into rhythm against Elena Gabriela Ruse.
Even on the men’s side, home favorite Ben Shelton admitted to being nervous before the tournament opener. The American had a shaky start to his opening-round match against Tallon Griekspoor, as he lost the first set 6-1. However, with the crowd behind him, Shelton put together some games and eventually closed out the match in four sets.
However, for the two-time Grand Slam champion, there were no such scoreline dangers, as the American carried on her recent hard-court form to secure a dominating win.
Coco Gauff Has a Dominant Win Over Zeynep Sonmez at the US Open
Gauff was determined to start strong against Sonmez, and the first set was among the best ever played by the American at a Grand Slam. The much-discussed serve is no longer a liability for the American, who did not face a single break point in the first set and got a timely break in the sixth game, which was enough to close out the set.
The 22-year-old kept up the pressure in the second set, getting a 2-0 lead with an early break. However, this is when Sonmez fought back, breaking Gauff’s serve and winning three consecutive games to take a 3-2 lead. In the sixth game, Gauff’s serve looked shaky once again, but she saved break points to tie the score at 3-3.
That was the last opportunity that Sonmez would have to come back in the match, as Gauff broke the Turkish player’s serve in the next game to get a decisive advantage. Sonmez did save a match point in the ninth game, forcing Gauff to serve match out, but the home favorite did not falter at all, closing out the victory within one and a half hours.
The two-time Grand Slam champion is all set to face either Daria Kasatkina or Paula Badosa in the next round, which will be a stiff challenge, especially against the Spaniard, who has a 5-3 head-to-head record against the American. However, given Gauff’s recent form on the hard courts, which saw her win the title in Cincinnati, the home favorite will be bullish about her chances of making a deep run at the US Open.