Gauff Begins US Open Campaign With Straight-Sets Win Over Sonmez

World No. 4 Coco Gauff launched her US Open run with a composed 6-3, 6-4 victory over Zeynep Sonmez under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, wrapping up the opener in one hour and 20 minutes.

The match hinged on a tense passage early in the second set. Serving at 2-3, Gauff endured a marathon six-deuce game, fending off three break points before clawing back to 3-3. That hold proved pivotal: she immediately flipped the momentum, tightening her baseline patterns and stepping in on second serves to put the contest out of reach.

The win arrives a year removed from a frustrating early exit to Naomi Osaka, a blip that followed Gauff’s championship run in New York the season prior. This time, despite pockets of pressure, her composure held firm. She noted afterward that the tricky stretch came down to recalibrating the serve and trusting her resilience on big points. After steadying her delivery—particularly the first serve—she felt confident the break would come, and it did in the very next game. She also credited Sonmez for raising her level and making the second set a grind.

Gauff’s hard-court form at the majors continues to impress. Since the start of 2020, she has amassed 81 Grand Slam match wins—trailing only Iga Swiatek (109) and Aryna Sabalenka (106) in that span. In New York specifically, she has now claimed seven of her last eight first-round matches, a sign of comfort on the sport’s biggest stadium stage.

Sonmez, competing with nothing to lose, asked the right questions in rallies, especially in the second set where she probed Gauff’s forehand corner and looked to extend exchanges. But whenever the pressure peaked, Gauff’s athleticism and counterpunching closed the door, whether through well-timed backhand redirects or quick-strike returns that seized control early in points.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, the Philippines’ rising talent Alexandra Eala powered into the second round for the second straight year, dispatching American qualifier Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2 in one hour and 17 minutes. Eala’s baseline aggression and clean serving set the tone from the start, allowing her to cruise without facing much resistance.

With opening-night nerves conquered and the Ashe crowd firmly behind her, Gauff moves on with minimal mileage and maximum confidence—exactly the kind of first step a title contender wants in New York.