Queens, N.Y.: Coco Gauff holding her trophy after defeating Aryna Sabalenka to win her first grand slam in the the Women’s Singles US Open Tennis Championships at Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadow, Queens, New York on Sept. 9, 2023 (Photo by J. Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images)
Newsday via Getty Images
A year ago, Coco Gauff came into the U.S. Open with all kinds of problems.
She struggled mightily with her serve and parted ways with coach Matt Daly and brought in biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan to work with JC Faurel. She re-worked her serve and credited her new team with helping her block out external noise and outside criticism regarding her propensity to double-fault.
Still, after winning Roland Garros in 2025, Gauff was dominated by Naomi Osaka in the fourth round of the Open.
This year it is an entirely different story. Gauff’s serve is much improved.
Gauff, 22, is the hottest player on the women’s tour after winning the Cincinnati Open and she is being picked by several experts to hoist the trophy for a second time on Sept. 12 in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Gauff won her maiden Grand Slam title in New York in 2023.
“It would appear that Coco Gauff is playing the best tennis going into the U.S. Open,” Lindsay Davenport said on Tennis Channel as Gauff was dominating fellow American Jessica Pegula, 6-2, 6-4, in Sunday’s final.
On Thursday, when the draw was revealed, both Mary Joe Fernandez and James Blake were asked their picks for the finals.
“I said Coco’s gonna win it so she better make the finals,” Fernandez said of the No. 4 seed. “And I think [Aryna] Sabalenka’s gonna get it together so maybe a rematch of the U.S. Open final from a couple years ago.”
Blake predicted a Gauff-Pegula rematch in the finals.
“I think Jess is refreshed right now and maybe they have another great matchup [in the final],” he said.
Gauff’s draw was revealed Thursday.
She could face a rematch of the Canadian Open semifinals against Sara Bejlek of the Czech Republic in the third round. Gauff easily won that match 6-4, 6-1.
In the fourth round, things could potentially get tricky against either Filipino star Alex Eala or American teenager Iva Jovic.
In the quarters, Gauff could meet No. 5 Mirra Andreeva or No. 10 Amanda Anisimova, last year’s runner-up to Sabalenka.
In the semis, Gauff could face No. 2 Elena Rybakina, who beat Gauff in the Canadian Open semis, No. 8 Iga Swiatek or No. 13 Osaka, among others.
Sabalenka or Pegula could await in the final.
Per Kalshi, Sabalenka has a 23% chance to win the title, followed by Gauff at 16% and Swiatek at 15%.
Patrick McEnroe picked Swiatek to win the women’s title, while Fernandez likes Gauff.
“I thought Coco Gauff played exceptional tennis in Cincinnati,” she said. “She played well in Canada, as well. To me she’s the one that’s playing the best tennis.”
