By Shara Talia Taylor
Four American women excelled in week 1 of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in Flushing, New York making it to the top 16 and upcoming bright and talented teenager Coco Gauff, now in the semi-finals, stood out amongst them.
Gauff’s match Sunday took her to the quarterfinals as the week ended and Monday presented unexpected turns in the bracket. Gauff faced rigorous matches, almost all going three sets, but her strength, stamina and tenacity was evident as she bounced back in the third sets of her matches Friday and Sunday.
“It’s nice to just see the competitiveness between the countrymen and us all doing well,” Gauff said about the wave of energy as she and other Americans advance in the tournament.
Gauff joined Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, and Peyton Stearns in the top 16. Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur were anticipated to shine in the tournament, but upsets happen even with top players. Swiatek won the French Open this year. She also won titles at two Grand Slam tournaments in 2022 including the French Open when she defeated Gauff and the US Open, when she defeated Jabeur. Jabeur was runner up at the Wimbledon Championships in 2022 and 2023. Swiatek loss to Jeļena Ostapenko on Sunday. Pegula fell to Keys, Stearns fell to Markéta Vondroušová, and Jabeur loss to Qinwen Zheng on Monday.
Gauff took on Laura Siegemund in the first match of the tournament. It was long heated 2-hour and 51-minute match. Gauff won 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. She faced Mirra Andreeva in the second round winning 6-3, 6-2.
Gauff and Elise Mertens faced off Friday. Mertens won the first set 6-3. Coco powered back to win the second set 6-3 and delivered a goose egg in the final set 6-0. Gauff said that she established her game plan in the second set and in the third set she fought for every point.
Gauff met Caroline Wozniacki for round 4 winning a challenging match 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Gauff shook off early nerves and warmed up quickly in the first set against Caroline Wozniacki. She rallied back from being down two games to win the set 6-3 delivering unanswered serves in game 5 and 7. Yet the second set was a close match. Coco powered back in set 3 as she did Friday night .
“So it’s really difficult finding that balance,” Gauff said about falling behind and risk taking. “I was trying to tell myself just to be ready to play an extra ball, ’cause she’s a player, when you think you win the point, it’s not over.”
Gauff also excelled on the doubles side with her partner Pegula. Sunday Gauff joined Jessica Pegula in doubles to the quarter-finals after defeating Hsieh Su-Wei and Wang Xinyu. Following Gauff’s singles match Friday, she was asked about playing doubles vs. mixed doubles. “I’m used to playing with Jess,” she said. “Playing with Jess, honestly, I think I’m a little bit more relaxed.
Her only loss was when she joined Jack Sock, who retired from the sport following the match. “I first met him a long time ago,” she said. “He doesn’t even remember this, when I was like 12 years old so it was really cool to kind of be on one of his last matches of his career.”
According to the Women’s Tennis Association, Gauff is the first American teenager to reach the semifinals since Serena Williams in 2001 U.S. Open.
American Francis Tiafoe looked to join Gauff getting the semi-finals as he faced fellow Amercian Ben Shelton Tuesday night. Said Tiafoe of the match-up,
“I just want to go out there and win a tennis match. The bigger picture things, tennis is going to win,” said Tiafoe. “More important, an American is going to be in the semis.”
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