Following a disappointing exit from Wimbledon at the hands of Dayana Yastremska, a teary-eyed Coco Gauff said, “Obviously, I’m not going to dwell on this too long because I want to do well at the US Open. Maybe losing in the first round here isn’t the worst thing in the world because I have time to reset.” However, she was stunned by the 18-year-old Canadian, Victoria Mboko, in the R16 of the Canadian Open. Although she opted to withdraw from this year’s Citi Open to tweak her serve issues, Gauff committed 42 double faults in her three matches in Montreal. These numbers garnered raised eyebrows from several tennis bigwigs, including Rennae Stubbs.

Coco Gauff admitted that she could’ve done better in this tournament. But following that initial hiccup to her North American hard-court swing, Gauff made a strong comeback at the Cincinnati Open. She defeated China’s Xinyu Wang in her first match by 6-3,6-2 and then in the second match, she got a walkover from a familiar rival, Dayana Yastremska. The Ukrainian, who had shattered Gauff’s dream at Wimbledon couldn’t step onto the court because of illness. As a result of this, Gauff will now be taking on Lucia Bronzetti in her next match. This is a grand chance for the 21-year-old to get this win under her belt before the US Open.

The 2023 US Open champion is currently ranked second in the world, and has a win-loss record of 34-11. A long run here in Cincinnati will definitely boost her chances at the US Open. But surprisingly, on 11 August, while sharing their thoughts on Coco Gauff’s chances in NY, tennis legend Rennae Stubbs and the co-host of her podcast, Caitlin Thompson, had a very interesting take. Thompson started the conversation saying, “You know, Coco has sort of been off the radar since the French Open, but I think she usually does a post-slam dip, and maybe the timing is right for her to come back. I don’t know.“

Rennae Stubbs then went on to add, “I just think it’s hard for Coco to go into the US Open unless she does really well here in Cincinnati. It’s just so, I mean, God knows, I want her to do well at the US Open. She is not arguably, she is our biggest draw at ESPN on the coverage at the US Open. She has the most fans that follow her. She’s a great kid. We want her to do well.” Serena Williams’ ex-coach has been following Coco Gauff’s game closely over the last few years. “But man, like not having a confidence going into that tournament, knowing she’s going to be an Arthur Ashe every single night with that pressure on her shoulders.” If not Gauff, then who?

Previously, before Wimbledon, tennis legend Andy Roddick snubbed Coco Gauff to pick the 2025 AO champion, Madison Keys, as the favorite for the grass court major. Currently ranked sixth in the world, Keys has won two titles this season, and she has a win-loss record of 37-11. According to Rennae Stubbs’ verdict, “If she (Sabalenka) wins Cincinnati, it’ll certainly help her going into the US Open. Maddy (Madison Keys) is certainly going to be up there with the court surface. She plays well in New York.” Stubbs referred to the time when Keys was this close to clinching the US Open title in 2017.

Despite playing so well throughout the tournament, she went down to her compatriot Sloane Stephens by 6-3,6-0. Keys started the 2025 season with a major title, and now, it’ll be interesting to see if she can finish the season with another. But having said that, Coco Gauff is sure to be out with ‘all guns blazing’ to regain her fame at her home slam.

Coco Gauff sets the tone for the US Open after Roland Garros title

Last year, Coco Gauff failed to retain her crown at the US Open when she was eliminated in the R16 by her compatriot Emma Navarro. But this year, the cards are different. She has already won a major title this season, which should boost her hunger to finish the year on a high note. Shortly after her title triumph at Roland Garros, Gauff sat for an interview with USOpen.org. During that interview, she was asked how this win compares to winning the US Open in 2023.

She had then replied that it was very different. The US Open, while it fuels her belief that she could win, there is also a part in her that entrusts her instincts with the flow, “Let’s just see what’s going to happen.“ When she won the title at the US Open, it was a wave of relief that washed over her. She was just happy to meet her expectations. But Roland Garros was different. Her belief in herself was firm during the French Open.

Later in that interview, when asked about her excitement in playing in the States this summer, she added, “I’m super excited to be back in the States playing, especially in Cincinnati and obviously at the US Open. It’ll be my first time entering the US Open with a Grand Slam that year, so I’m really excited for that, mainly just to see the crowd and all the people’s faces.“

However, amidst all this excitement, Coco Gauff has decided to skip the revamped, star-studded mixed doubles event at the 2025 US Open. Reason? “For me, it was just because I know the free week of the US Open is already packed for me, for sponsor things, and it was just like a whole other thing. I’m very competitive; if I were to lose, I would not be happy. So, I didn’t want to waste mental energy on that,” said Gauff. How excited are you to see Coco Gauff in action at the US Open, though?