Coco Gauff Fights Back to Defend Her US Open Title Against Svitolina

NEW YORK (AP) — Coco Gauff showcased her resilience as she battled back after dropping the opening set to defeat Elina Svitolina 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the U.S. Open’s third round on Friday. With this victory, the 20-year-old American continues her quest to defend her first Grand Slam title.

In the first set, Gauff struggled significantly, making a series of mistakes that saw her drop the final 11 points against the 27th-seeded Svitolina, a seasoned player with three major semifinal appearances to her name.

After the match, Gauff acknowledged her opponent’s tenacity, stating, “She’s a fighter. I knew I had to play my best.”

Gauff rebounded impressively, reeling off nine of 11 games at one point to secure the win despite having lost the first set. This marked a similar pattern to her 2023 U.S. Open journey, where she overcame set deficits multiple times, including in the final against Aryna Sabalenka.

Gauff attributed her turnaround in this match to a more aggressive approach on her forehand, along with an effort to minimize errors on her backhand. “I tried to be more aggressive on my forehand side,” she explained, “and tried to make less errors on the backhand.”

Initially, Gauff’s performance was marred by 16 unforced errors after just one set—nine of which were on her backhand—and only seven winners. Her first serve percentage was low at 45%, and she went 0 for 3 on break points, allowing Svitolina to dominate during longer rallies.

However, Gauff’s game improved markedly in the subsequent sets. An important shift came when her coaches encouraged her to engage the enthusiastic crowd. “My team was kind of like telling me that (the fans) were on the edge of their seats,” Gauff said. “So I said, ‘OK, I need to erupt so you guys can erupt.’”

This victory also ended Gauff’s five-match losing streak against players ranked in the top 50, which may be the boost she needs to overcome a recent slump where she won only five of her last nine matches.

The contrast from the previous year is striking. Gauff had dominated the court, winning 18 out of 19 matches, including 12 consecutive victories, which culminated in her first major title at the U.S. Open—making her the first U.S. teenager to win at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams in 1999.

Next up for Gauff is a match for a spot in the quarterfinals, scheduled for Sunday. She will face the winner of the match between No. 13 Emma Navarro and No. 19 Marta Kostyuk, which took place later on Friday. Notably, Navarro previously defeated Gauff in the fourth round at Wimbledon last month.

The turning point in the match came shortly after 1 hour and 10 minutes of play when Gauff broke Svitolina’s serve to take a 4-2 lead in the second set. Celebrating her breakthrough with a shout of “Come on!” she raised her left hand, urging the crowd for more support.

From that point, the second set belonged to Gauff, who capped it off with a well-placed 94 mph ace, further energizing her supporters with a triumphant fist pump.

In the deciding third set, Gauff quickly established a 2-0 lead after breaking Svitolina’s serve. A lengthy 38-stroke rally ended with Svitolina sending a backhand wide, showcasing Gauff’s stamina and focus. She surged to a commanding 5-1 lead, although a moment of tension arose when she served for the match at 5-2; she squandered three match points and was broken.

Despite this hiccup, Gauff regained her composure, breaking back immediately to secure her victory and continue her journey in the tournament.

Source: AP News