A year after the unforgettable sight of her first Grand Slam title after years of suffocating expectations, Coco Gauff returned to the US Open with a convincing first-round victory, beating France’s Varvara Gracheva 6-2, 6-0.
It was a much-needed win for Gauff after a difficult period. Despite being a favourite on her best surface at the Olympics, the 20-year-old suffered a poor third-round defeat on clay at Roland Garros in Paris and subsequently compiled a 1-2 record between Toronto and Cincinnati.
As usual when her form has dipped, Gauff struggled with her forehand and second serve. It wasn’t easy for the third seed on her return to Arthur Ashe Stadium and the opening set score was deceptive. The American faced break points in each of her first three service games, saving six in total, but she served well in the decisive points and remained rock solid when she needed to be most. After closing out the set, Gauff relaxed and cruised into the second round with nine games in a row.
Gauff said: “Someone commented on my TikTok and said something like, ‘You’ve won in life, literally and figuratively, and there’s no point in putting pressure on yourself during a victory lap.’ I just treat this tournament that way.
“When you defend something, it means you’ve won something. If you’ve done it, you can do it again. Whether I do it again this year or not, [at some point] I’m going to do it again.”
Gauff will look to build on her first win when she takes on Germany’s Tatjana Maria in the second round. Maria, a 37-year-old former Wimbledon semifinalist armed with a formidable backhand slice and all-court game, advanced to round two with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Solana Sierra, an Argentine qualifier.
Just a few weeks after becoming the first Chinese player to win an Olympic gold medal in tennis singles, seventh-seeded Zheng Qinwen navigated an extremely difficult first-round match. After trailing a set against the formidable Amanda Anisimova, Zheng recovered to reach the second round with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory.
“It’s the typical match that I lose, especially after a big success, because as I know myself, after a big success, I usually get a little bit too high, and until reality hits me again and I get back on the ground and try to be humble and work hard,” Zheng said. “So if I have a success this time, I tell myself that I don’t want to let that happen. I’m going to keep working hard and keep the stable mindset.”
In the men’s event, Dominic Thiem’s Grand Slam career came to an end at Ashe, when he was defeated 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 by Ben Shelton, the American 13th seed, in their first-round match. Thiem announced this year that he would retire from professional tennis at the end of the season.
At the height of his powers, the Austrian had positioned himself as a top contender for Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, winning his only Grand Slam title at the 2020 US Open in an empty stadium amid strict Covid-19 protocols.
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Just as Thiem was approaching his peak years, he suffered a serious wrist injury in 2021 that derailed his career and from which he never fully recovered. In retrospect, the 30-year-old said he was happy with his approaching retirement.
“I’ve had a hard time the last few years, especially because I couldn’t get back to my old level. But when I made the decision in March this year, I was happy with it from that moment on,” said Thiem.
“Of course, I could also prepare a little bit for this new chapter that’s coming. Honestly, I’ve always, I’ve loved playing on tour, and I’ve been very patient with it, but I’ve also always really enjoyed being home and, as much as possible, having some kind of normal life. And that’s why I’m always looking forward to, I’m really looking forward to, normal life coming up now.”
Despite a valiant recovery from two sets down on his US Open main draw debut, Britain’s Jan Choinski was defeated 6-2, 6-3, 5-7, 6-7 (5), 6-3 by Roberto Carballés Baena. Choinski had reached the main draw after winning three tough matches in the qualifying rounds. Although he has played at Wimbledon, this was the first time he had reached the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament on merit.