Coco Gauff told what she must do the week before the US Open to re-find her form

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Coco Gauff is days away from embarking on her title defense at the US Open.

The young American came alive during the back end of the 2023 season, winning titles in Washington and Cincinnati before capturing the hearts of her country in New York.

Gauff, who was Team USA’s flag-bearer at the Olympics, became the first native teenager to win at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams in 1999.

However, this hard-court swing has been poles apart from that of last season and doubts have been raised over her form heading into this year’s US Open.

Gauff suffered an early exit at the Paris Games and doesn’t seem to have hit the ground running upon arrival in North America.

The 20-year-old was stunned in her Cincinnati opener by Yulia Putintseva last week, leaving her with a race against the clock to fine-tune her game before play gets underway in New York.

Monica Puig thinks Coco Gauff needs a ‘mental reset’

A string of sub-par performances from Coco Gauff has seen her slip back to number three in the WTA rankings.

But, former Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig remains confident about Gauff’s chances heading into her title defense, sharing her opinion on what the American can take away from the disappointment of the last few weeks.

“I would really love to see her [Gauff] make a mental reset,” Puig told Tennis Channel. “We know the type of tennis that she is capable of playing, and we saw it last year in Washington, Cincinnati, and at the US Open.

“She needs to focus on serving well, hugging that baseline, playing the aggressive game style that saw her win those titles.

“But, maybe put the US Open and what happened last year behind her and start fresh, start from zero in this US Open and just build from there.”

Can Gauff defend the US Open?

Gauff has not hit the ground running in North America this year, and concerns over her US Open title defense have continued to make headlines.

Aryna Sabalenka, who was beaten by the American in the championship match last year, is fresh off the back of a dominating week at the Cincinnati Open which saw her claim the title without dropping a set.

And, after an injury spell that sidelined her earlier in the season, world number six Jessica Pegula appears to be returning to form at the perfect time, with a title in Toronto followed by a stellar run to the final in Cincinnati.

Gauff, on the other hand, appears unable to replicate the form that propelled her to glory on home soil 12 months ago and, with others peaking, her chances are slimming by the minute.