There is concern around Coco Gauff’s form ahead of her attempt to defend the US Open title.
Since Wimbledon, the 20-year-old has struggled and this does not bode well heading into the final Grand Slam of the season.
Speaking of title defences, Gauff is now in Ohio preparing for the Cincinnati Open, a tournament she won before her triumph in New York in 2023.
A year ago the American was on the best run of her career heading into the US Open, but in 2024, prior to the last WTA 1000 event before the major, that is not the case.
Why are tennis pundits concerned for Coco Gauff ahead of the US Open?
While Coco Gauff has had no trouble defeating the lower ranked players, she has come unstuck against the better players of late.
She has suffered four successive defeats against players ranked inside the world’s top 50. Gauff’s last victory over a top 50 opponent came against Ons Jabeur in the Berlin Open quarter-finals in June.
Not only has Gauff suffered several losses recently, but they have all come in straight sets. Therefore, the Tennis Podcast think Gauff is in a precarious position ahead of the US Open.
“I also am just a bit worried about Coco Gauff,” said their host Catherine Whittaker. David Law added: “I think you should be. She’s still got plenty of time to turn this around, but she hasn’t had great results recently. Let’s not forget last year she turned it around quickly after a very disappointing Wimbledon loss.
“I know there’s less time here and it’s another surface change, but this isn’t just that she got beaten, she got beaten by a very good player yes, but she got absolutely hammered, 6-4, 6-1 that’s not a good score line at all.
“I think that there is a lot of work to do for Coco Gauff to feel confident. Right now it all feels a bit stressful. She didn’t deliver at the Olympics at all and here we are now. She’s defending the US Open and that’s a different mentality.”
Who is Coco Gauff’s next opponent?
Since beating Jabeur on the grass, Gauff has lost to fellow Americans Emma Navarro at Wimbledon and Jessica Pegula in Berlin.
That was followed by Donna Vekic ending Gauff’s run at the Olympics, before Diana Shnaider eased to victory for the loss of just five games in Toronto.
It will not get easier for Gauff as her first opponent at the Cincinnati Open is Yulia Putinseva, who is ranked at number 34 in the world.
Putinseva defeated Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon and won the Birmingham classic in the lead up the grass court major.
The tour is now back on the hard courts, but Putinseva is a dangerous player and Gauff will have to play well to claim victory.
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