*Flushing, New York – Coco Gauff survives a thrilling 3-set battle with Australian Ajla Tomljanović to advance to the US Open 2nd round. Tomljanović is the player who spoiled Serena’s “final (she’s never fully retired)” bid for her 24th Grand Slam and hastened her “bye, for now” farewell tribute in 2022.
So tennis analysts knew the world no. 3-ranked American was up against an opponent who is no slouch.
“I was very aware. Honestly, before the match I told myself that she was probably going to play that level of tennis again, where she’s just steady off the ground,” she said.
“I watched that match with Serena. I expected that level today, where I felt like she was just going to be solid, not going to miss, take her chances when it was the right decision to, but just really be on there.”
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Coco arrives in New York amid uncertainty
There were other reasons – reputation of the ops aside – going into this year’s US Open to wonder how Coco Gauff would show up. She won the French Open (d. Aryna Sabalenka) but was knocked out in the round of 16 in Montreal by tournament-Cinderella, Victoria Mboko(CAN). She logged 16 double-faults and 63 unforced errors in Cincinnati, falling to Jasmine Poalini (ITA) in the quarterfinals, and she made the risky move of making a coaching change by hiring a serving expert just days before the US Open started.
There was a strong reason to believe that she, well, wouldn’t believe.
Coco’s work ethic and resolve are her secret weapons
Coco has been in the WTA’s Top 10 – currently sitting at world no. 3 – since 2022. She holds two Slam titles (2023 US Open, 2025 French Open) to back it up, but her serving and forehand weaknesses have been her achilles in being truly confident in her standing. That said, changing the rhythm before one of tennis’ biggest “dances,” with a “giant killer” as your first round “partner” was a risky proposition. Coco, known for her outstanding work ethic, is a fighter, however, and whatever she lacks in consistency she typically makes up for it with sheer grit and determination.
She was gonna come ready … even if there were reasons not to be.
Set 1: Coco starts off shaky but recovers
Coco, the hometown frontrunner predictably started the match a little off kilter; she quickly dropped her service game out of the gate for 0-1. But it didn’t take long for her to steady herself and recovered by breaking Tomljanović at 2-3 to get back level. Then with that little injection of relief and the raucous backing of her hometown supporters, her confidence rose she locked in. The sea-change surprised the Aussie and she shrank back a bit with her game, allowing Coco the freedom to rip her powerful groundstrokes and run every ball coming across the net down with her signature speed and agility. She ended up taking the first set 6-4.
Set 2: Coco’s momentum quenched
Both women started the second set with guns a-blazing, playing high risk tennis and launching groundstrokes like rockets. And there wasn’t much between their games, as they both held serve by thin margins up to 4-all. But Coco blinked first due to her service woes creeping in and was broken for 4-5. But Tomljanović must’ve had flashbacks of dispatching Serena Williams, because the 2nd set proved to be an all out slugfest and she wasn’t backing down.
Tomljanović had a chance to serve for the set, but Gauff went redline with her game and broke right back for 5-all. They both held their next service games and forced the 7-point tiebreaker.
Coco’s resolve had been tested just enough to that point to weaken it and she started the breaker by dropping her serve for 0-1. Tomljanović capitalized and held both of hers for 3-0 and secured a second mini-break off Coco for 4-1. The American was just too nervous and the gap too wide for her to close, so the Aussie took the set 7-6(2).
But that grit, that grit … you can never count Coco out when she’s down.
Set 3: Coco digs deep and prevails
Coco simply shook off the disappointment, put her head down, and went right back to work. Her opponent was up to the task, though, and didn’t make it easy. The Aussie is ranked no. 84 but was playing, easily, top-10 tennis against her. Gauff proved the more dominant force throughout the set, however, even with the intermittent rearing of her serve and forehand struggles. She drew first blood by breaking Tomljanović at 3-2 and was poised to run away with the set.
But that was just the start of a break-fest between the two. Coco would go up a break but would immediately drop her serve and roll back down the mound to level: “That game where I served it at 5-4, that was definitely like an old habit. The next game was a lot better,” she said.
“Yeah, I think the more I get confident, the more I can go for it.”
Pots, pans … the kitchen sink went back and forth between the two determined competitors, until Coco finally secured the break for 6-5. Her old demons were resurfacing toward the end there, as she double faulted the 1st two points away, but the reasons she’s world no 3 shone through and she clawed her way through the next four points to take the set and match 6-4, 6-7, 7-5.
Coco faces another capable opponent in round 2
Most first round matches aren’t as nail-biting as was this one, but under the circumstances it was par for the course. Coco lost some battles along the way, but she ultimately won the war of survival, which may prove a much needed confidence boost see her through to the very end this year’s US Open.
Next up, Croatia’s feisty Donna Vekic, former world no. 17, in round two … and she’s in for another battle. Check your local listings for coverage.
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