Coco Gauff will be back in familiar territory as she looks to defend her US Open title on home soil in a week’s time. The youngster had lifted the trophy 12 months ago after ousting Aryna Sabalenka in the summit clash.
Gauff has since reached a career-high world ranking of No. 2, having made the semifinals at the Australian and French Opens and lifted her eighth career title at the 2024 Auckland Open.
That said, her form in the last couple of months has been concerning. She exited the Wimbledon Championships in the fourth round, losing to compatriot Emma Navarro 4-6,3-6, and had only a semifinal appearance at Berlin to show for her entire grasscourt swing.
Things failed to improve for the 20-year-old when she returned to the North American hard courts. She beat Wang Yafan in her Canadian Open first-round encounter but lost the next match to Diana Shnaider.
Defending her title in the Cincinnati, she could not get past the opening hurdle and fell against Yulia Putintseva in three sets 4-6,6-2,4-6.
As a result, her world ranking has dropped back down to World No. 3 and she will now have to take on either Iga Swiatek or Aryna Sabalenka before the final hurdle at the 2024 US Open.
Winning in front of her crowd at last year’s US Open, however, remains special for the youngster, who fondly recalled the experience while shooting a commercial for Baker Tilly US.
“I won the US Open and I still just didn’t feel it. It took me a week to actually believe that it had happened. I had found myself like crying or sometimes, not like sadness but like disbelief. I wanted to win a Grand Slam as a teenager so I felt that the clock was just ticking. Yeah I just didn’t expect it,” Coco Gauff had said of her US Open win.
“Every tennis player’s dream is to win a Grand Slam so everybody is just giving it there all and I will let you know, when I win a next one, how it goes,” she added.
Coco Gauff faces Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka test at US Open 2024
Coco Gauff will be the third seed at this year’s US Open. The biggest challengers to her title defense will be reigning French Open champ Iga Swiatek and reigning Australian Open champ, Aryna Sabalenka.
Swiatek and Sabalenka, seeded No. 1 and No. 2, will anchor the draw’s top and bottom halves and Gauff will run into either in the semifinals provided that they reach that stage.
Other big names crowding the draw will be Gauff’s doubles partner Jessica Pegula, World No. 4 Elena Rybakina, French Open and Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini, Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen, and Wimbledon champ Barbora Krejcikova.
