Gauff earns her best win of this year's US Open after easily handling Magdalena Frech.
Archive of posts tagged Coco Gauff
Gauff Struggles at Times, Still Tops Tomljanovic
What does it take to win a match when your serve is still a work in progress and the crowd expects perfection? For Coco Gauff on Tuesday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium, it took grit, patience, and a refusal to give in.
The 21-year-old American survived a bruising first-round encounter with Ajla Tomljanovic, edging the Aussie 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5 in a three-hour scrap that tested her resolve. Tomljanovic, who stunned Serena Williams here three years ago en route to the quarterfinals, looked poised to spoil another story under the Ashe lights. She broke Gauff six times, forced a deciding set, and nearly silenced the crowd when the third seed faltered while serving for the match at 5-4.
But Gauff regrouped. She steadied herself, leaned on the Ashe faithful, and closed the door at the second time of asking. Four aces, ten double faults, and one hard-earned victory — not a masterpiece, but a survival story.
“The match was—it is what it was. I’m so used to these long battles,” Gauff said afterward, acknowledging that her serve remains very much a work in progress. “The practice week was tough because I was spending a lot of time on court literally serving until, like, my shoulder was hurting. Yeah, it’s just tough.”
The numbers back that up, but the American insists she’s moving in the right direction with new coach Gavin MacMillan, the biomechanics specialist who helped Aryna Sabalenka successfully rework her serve. “For me it’s trying not to go back to old habits in those tighter moments, and I think I did that today, especially in the third set,” she said. “Hopefully this time next year I’ll be serving much better.”
For now, there’s little time to dwell. The next test looms large: Croatia’s Donna Vekic in round two.
Coco Gauff teases American men over lack of Grand Slams: No competition
Coco Gauff jokes there "has not been much of a competition" between American men and women at Grand Slams simply because the women have had much more success over the last two decades.
As you probably know, the last US male tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles title was Andy Roddick. After winning his maiden Major at the 2003 US Open, the former world No. 1 appeared in four more Major finals but never won his second title on the biggest level.
After Roddick's 2009 Wimbledon final defeat to Roger Federer, it took US tennis 15 years to get another male Grand Slam finalist – Taylor Fritz reached the 2024 US Open final but stood no chance there, losing in straight sets to Jannik Sinner.
When it comes to American WTA stars, their Slam success over the past two decades is well-documented. In the most recent history, Gauff landed two Grand Slams in the last two years.
Gauff takes a playful shot at US ATP players
"For the men, I feel like the women, it hasn't been much of a competition, no offense to them, but now it is kind of was it three or four straight Slams with American in the finals. So I think we're we're doing pretty good on our end. They have to catch up. But no, I think it's great to see so many so much representation of like our country in the sport," the 2023 US Open winner said.
After making it clear that she thinks American male tennis features some pretty quality players, Gauff revealed her big wish was to witness an American male and female winning the same Grand Slam. Last year, Fritz and Jessica Pegula came close to making that happen, but lost their respective US Open final matches.
"I would love to see in my lifetime like a woman and an American woman and male when the same Slam that would be that would be great. We got it US Open. They were both in the final so hopefully maybe this U.S. Open some magic can happen," Gauff added.
In early June, Gauff won her first French Open title. Now, the 21-year-old is an Australian Open and Wimbledon title away from completing a Career Grand Slam.
Victorious Victoria! 18-Year-Old Mboko Stuns Rybakina to Reach Montreal Final
By Chris Oddo | Wednesday August 6, 2025
Grand Slam champions keep stepping up to face teen sensation Victoria Mboko in Montreal, and the kid keeps knocking them down.
For the third time in six matches at the Omnium Banque Nationale, Mboko defeated a former major champion, as she advanced to her maiden WTA final with a 1-6 7-5 7-6(4) victory over Elena Rybakina.
“It was an incredible match,” Mboko, who has also defeated Sofia Kenin and Coco Gauff on her way to the final, told the Montreal crowd. “I want to say thanks to everyone who supported me tonight. It was electric, and I’m very happy – oh my god!”
Mboko battled over two hours and 45 minutes, rallying from a set down and twice from a break down in the final set as she saved a match point and finally pushed past the No.9 seed in a tiebreak, winning the final three points to lock up a spot in the final where a fourth former major champion – Naomi Osaka – will be waiting.
Osaka defeated Clara Tauson in Wednesday’s second semifinal, 6-2 7-6(7).
Mboko survived despite winning only 35 percent of her second-serve points, thanks to a 72 percent first-serve percentage and a very timely break game. With pinpoint returns, stellar defense, and plenty of guile she earned six breaks of Rybakina’s serve as she locked up her second consecutive Top 20 win and became the youngest woman to reach the final in Canada since Belinda Bencic in 2015.
What was Mboko most proud of?
“I would say my ability to kind of come back in the third set,” she said. “I feel like after I had that fall, I wasn’t in the greatest spirits. Of course, she was playing really great tennis on top of that, but I’m happy that I kept my composure, and I was kind of patient in the right moments.
“I just feel really happy that I was able to bounce back after being down. Even a match point…”
Mboko is also the only Canadian woman to ever defeat three former Slam champions in the same event in Open Era history.
“It was very difficult, Elena is a very good player, but anything can happen,” Mboko said.
The victory was not accomplished without adversity.
Mboko took a fall in the second game of the final set, and had her right wrist examined after the third game, but she was able to play through the pain to get the victory against the woman who knocked her out of the Washington, DC draw last week.
“Unfortunately I fell,” Mboko said. “But everybody was supporting me and pushing me through.”
A remarkable effort from a young woman who is playing in her seventh WTA main draw, and just her third at the WTA 1000 level.
Ranked 85 at the start of the week, Mboko is up to 34 in the WTA live rankings at the moment. She was outside the Top 300 when the season started but 41 wins and just eight losses across all levels have propelled the former junior world No.6 to her current perch.
A Battle Royale
It was tense from start to finish against Rybakina, who rallied from a break down to level at 5-5 in the second set, just two games from the win. But Mboko won eight of the final ten points of the set to force a decider.
In the third, Rybakina was in the driver’s set again, leading 4-2 and 5-3 with a break, but she failed to convert a match point while serving at 5-4 and was broken.
After breaking back in the next game, she was broken at love by Mboko and a tiebreak ensued.
The Canadian saved her best for last – a line-licking forehand that went for a winner and a 5-4 lead in the breaker. Two points later she sank to her knees in disbelief, another Grand Slam champion, another victim of a raw, talented phenom on the rise.
Magic & Misery: Wild Card Mboko Stuns Osaka to win Maiden Title in Montreal
By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, August 7, 2025
Photo credit: Omnium Banque Nationale Facebook
A diving Victoria Mboko hurled herself at the ball, flicking a flying reply unleashing a resounding roar from Montreal fans.
The Canadian wild card crashed to the court chasing a dropper in wrapping a wild ride. Mboko scored a stunning 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over a detached Naomi Osaka to capture her maiden championship in a fairy-tale finish to the Omnium Banque Nationale Open.
The 18-year-old Mboko took home fans on a thrill ride that was unpredictable, unruly and downright ugly at times as former world No. 1 Osaka mentally unraveled in the face of the teenager’s fierce competitiveness, roaring crowd support and her own self-sabotage.
It ended with a crash landing and will go down as a historic flight. Mboko is the second-youngest woman in WTA history to defeat four Grand Slam champion—Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Osaka—en route to a championship. Only legendary Serena Williams, who was a 17-year-old dynamo clad in canary-colored Puma dress when she knocked off four major champions, including world No. 1 Martina Hingis to win the 1999 US Open, was younger.
The explosive Mboko is the third wild card to win a WTA 1000 championship following soon-to-be Hall of Famer Maria Sharapova (2011 Cincinnati) and compatriot Bianca Andreescu (2019 Indian Wells). Playing with a sore wrist she sustained falling to the court in her semifinal win over Rybakina, Mboko refused to let pain or pressure slow her roll.
“It feels unbelievable right now. I mean, words cannot really describe how today
went,” Mboko told the media in Montreal. “Today was such an eventful day actually. I woke up this morning, and I actually had my wrist a little bit swollen from yesterday’s fall, and we quickly went to the
hospital actually to do an MRI and an X-ray before I came to the courts to practice today.
“So once we got the green light that nothing too serious was going on in the wrist, I came here and practiced real fast and prepared for my match. So I think today regarding all
the events that I did, it feels a lot sweeter.”
World No. 85 Mboko, who was ranked No. 358 a year ago, is the second-lowest ranked woman to win a WTA 1000 title after No. 133 Kim Clijsters, who won the 2005 Indian Wells championship.
In the end, the net divided an immense emotional expanse between four-time major champion Osaka and first-time finalist Mboko.
The teenager played with more poise and deeper desire than a disconsolate Osaka, who incurred a code violation for belting a ball into the stands, appeared annoyed by her opponent toweling off as she was set to serve and looked vacant at the very end.
A determined Mboko flew through the final five games dropping to her knees in exhilaration after earning a two hour, four-minute triumph.
Truth be told it was a bizarre final popping with some brilliant shot-making from both and periods where neither woman could seem to keep the ball between the lines for sustained stretches. Mboko overcame 13 double faults and a 27 percent second-serve percentage, while Osaka often had her opponent on defense only to sail the kill shot in several instances. Mboko converted seven of eight break points and applied her speed and determination to extend points and her knack for the down the line strike to exterminate them.
The winning moment ✨
Victoria Mboko captures her first WTA title in Montreal, defeating Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.#OBN25 pic.twitter.com/OveLB47YMZ
— wta (@WTA) August 8, 2025
At times, this final was like watching virtuoso musicians hit pitch perfect high notes then shriek through stretches of atonal music.
Yet, Mboko showed her grit, guts and star power riding a wave of support that overwhelmed Osaka into fretful frustration.
At the outset, Osaka delivered a dose of forehand medicine to Mboko that she received from Liudmila Samsonova in round two.
In her 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-3 comeback conquest of 13th-seeded Samsonova, Osaka was getting beaten repeatedly in crosscourt exchanges for a set and a half. The Japanese was sometimes taking one big step rather than the short, precise preparation steps to give herself ideal spacing between her body and the ball.
Tonight, Osaka came out straddling the baseline ripping crosscourt forehands basically telling the teenager: let’s see if you can hang and bang in crosscourt forehand fireworks.
Showing the shotmaking that made her a two-time US Open champion, Osaka fired a forehand down the line streaking to a 4-1 lead. Whipping forehands with menacing intent, Osaka broke again to take the opener in 37 minutes.
The world No. 49 seemed to be in control, but soon Mboko’s speed and persistence and the crowd’s growing participation spooked Osaka into strange and sour places.
Facing a red-hot, fearless opponent, thousands of screaming Canadian fans and the prospect of winning her biggest title in four years all amped up the angst Osaka was feeling. That’s completely understandable.
Still, if you’re as experienced as Osaka you cannot be wishing balls out as she did a couple of times pointing to marks she thought were wide on balls that actually landed inside the sideline. You’ve got to play the actual call and not the call you hope to hear—yet it showed the nerves the Japanese superstar was feeling even up a set.
When Osaka dropped serve for the second straight time to fall behind 1-2 in the second set she dropped her blue Yonex stick to the court in a visible show of frustration.
Across the net, the 18-year-old Mboko meant business. After blowing a 40-15 lead and double-faulting back the break in the fourth game, Mboko blasted a big return to break again for 3-2—the sixth straight break of this hard-hitting final.
Shaking off a double fault, Mboko geared into groove drawing a wild forehand error to hold at 30 for 4-2—the first hold since Osaka went up 5-2 in the opening set.
A rattled Osaka was staring up at the sky as if searching for answers from above, while Mboko raced through a love break extending her lead to 5-2.
Cutting a forlorn figure as she paced near the back wall, Osaka looked dejected. Then Mboko threw her a life line.
The teenager totally lost her serve motion spit up three double faults and watched Osaka rope a return down the line to break back in the eighth game. Osaka whipped the wide serve stamping her first hold of the set for 4-5 and shifting pressure back on Mboko’s shoulders.
After asking her coaching box for advice on serve, Mboko took pace off the serve. That approach worked as she rallied from 15-30 down winning three points in a row to snatch a jittery and wild second set and force a decider after 82 minutes of play.
“Naomi came out playing really great tennis,” Mboko said. “I think she always had that aggressive kind of
game style, and I knew she was that good of a player. When I lost the first set, I kind of told myself to regroup a little bit and start fresh. I knew she was going to — going into the second set, I knew she was going to also keep playing aggressive, so I kind of had to rely on my
defending skills most of the match.
“Since she hits such a powerful ball, it was really hard for me to kind of replicate what she was putting in through. But I think at the end of the day I just did everything I possibly could to pull through the match, and thankfully I came out for the win.”
Despite dumping 12 double faults through two sets, the wild card was one set from her first career title. Osaka left the court to reset before the decider.
In retrospect that break was a big mistake as Mboko spent the down time hitting practice serves and finding her groove while Osaka was trying to set her mind back on track.
Just when you thought a crazy final couldn’t possibly get more unstable, it did. Both women double faulted away breaks to start the final set. Osaka squandered a 30-15 lead, then belted a ball into the stands, incurring a code violation warning for ball abuse as Mboko converted her sixth break edging ahead 2-1.
Throughout this magical Montreal run, Mboko’s poise under pressure, creativity on the run and sheer resilience have been her super-powers. She showed all of that in a draining fourth game.
Dripping sweat, Mboko fought off four break points in a dramatic six-deuce game dabbing a dropper to hold for 3-1 as the entire stadium seemed to rise to its collective feet roaring.
If you’ve watched Osaka win any of her four Grand Slams you know she can be a premier power player with a knack for the devastating first strike.
This final reinforced the fact for all her wondrous gifts as a ball striker, Osaka’s aversion to the net remains a vulnerability. Time and time again, Osaka had the teenager on the move in the fifth game, but stubbornly remained stuck to the baseline trying to squeeze shots closer to the lines. In the end she hit herself into oblivion as Mboko broke a seventh time for 4-1.
Mentally, Mboko was soaring on this magical flight and Osaka was grounded in misery.
When Osaka tapped a casual drop shot, a soaring Mboko raced forward went full dive and crashed to the court flicking a forehand and losing her Wilson racquet in the process. The chair umpire called for a replay to make sure Mboko got it on one bounce, but Osaka, who looked like she just wanted to get off the court, didn’t even wait and played through that request.
“In that game I was, like, Oh, I’m super close. At that point I had the fighting mentality,” Mboko said. “I
just wanted to run and put as many balls back in the court as possible. I wanted it so badly that I think falling was a little bit worth it.
“I mean, in that situation I wanted to just stay in there with her. Naomi was playing such aggressive, and she was hitting some pretty clean shots. So I wanted to run and retrieve everything that even didn’t seem possible.”
Mboko completed a magical run dropping to her knees as Osaka came around the net to offer congratulations. Back in 2018, Osaka overcame legendary Serena Williams and 23,000 screaming American fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium to win the US Open in a moment she called “bittersweet”.
Tonight, it felt like a bit of a role reversal with Mboko riding the wave of Canadian crowd support and Osaka looking positively muted by the end.
This victory vaults Mboko past compatriot and Washington, DC champion Leylah Fernandez to No. 25 as the highest-ranked Canadian woman. Mboko said afterward she will skip Cincinnati to rest her sore wrist and prepare for the US Open. Despite the disappointing finish, Osaka rises to No. 24 in the rankings.
There’s a lot to like about Mboko’s game and her commitment to the cause and based on what we saw tonight both women will be dangerous threats at this month’s US Open.
Emma Raducanu makes it crystal clear what she wants from Rafael Nadal's ex-coach
Emma Raducanu sounds ecstatic over adding Francisco Roig to her team and highlights the main thing she wants from Rafael Nadal's former coach is to help her improve her game to the level where she can legitimately challenge the very best in the game.
Ahead of Cincinnati, the 2021 US Open champion made a major announcement, revealing that Nadal's former coach of 17 years agreed to work with her.
So far this year, there hasn't been much stability in Raducanu's coaching staff. After Nick Cavaday left the team in late January, the 22-year-old was assisted by some LTA coaches, before having an unsuccessful two-week stint with Vladimir Platenik in March. Ultimately, the British tennis player hired Mark Petchey – but since he has his own commentary commitments – he wasn't a full-time presence in the box until the grass season.
But now, Raducanu's tumultuous 2025 coaching situation may have come to an end with the Roig appointment.
Raducanu: Roig has got a bank of experience… I want the quality of my shots to be better
“It’s going really well, it’s my second day here with him here, but I did a few days in London before I came out here. He’s obviously got a bank of experience and I’m very excited to continue working with him and to have him on my side," the Briton said.
So far in her career, Raducanu has collected three wins against top-10 players. This year, the 22-year-old played against Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Zheng Qinwen, and lost all of those meetings. Her lone top-10 win of the year came against Emma Navarro in Miami. And that's one aspect that she wants to fix.
“I’m working on the quality of my shots to be better. I think against the very top that’s what it needs, it needs to improve. So I’m hoping that with time – I’m pretty patient, I’m going to try and be pretty patient – that it’ll improve," Raducanu underlined.
In the Cincinnati first round, Raducanu will play against a qualifier.
Coco Gauff drops hilarious line after winning Montreal doubles title
Coco Gauff captured her first doubles title in over a year and then hilariously remarked that her "temporary return" to doubles was instant success.
After disappointingly seeing her Montreal singles campaign end in the round-of-16, the American stayed in Canada because she still had doubles going on with fellow American McCartney Kessler. In their first appearance as a pair, the American duo won a total of five matches and impressively beat No. 3 seeds Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai 6-4 1-6 13-11 in the final.
For Gauff, this was her third doubles tournament of the year. Previously, the American teamed up with Robin Montgomery in Madrid and with Alexandra Eala in Rome, respectively. The 21-year-old now has 10 doubles titles in her collection.
"Lol temporarily came out of doubles retirement and got a dub!" the top-ranked American female tennis player wrote on her Instagram Story.
Coco Gauff Instagram Story© Coco Gauff/Instagram – Fair Use
Gauff enjoyed big success with Jessica Pegula but they stopped playing together
Across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Gauff and Pegula were one of the top teams on the WTA Tour and they won a total of five doubles titles during that period and were also finalists at the 2022 French Open.
Going into the 2024 Paris Olympics, their goal was to capture the gold medal – or at least win any medal. But those hopes were quickly squashed after they picked up a surprise round-of-16 loss to Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova.
Since then, Gauff and Pegula haven't played together. Earlier this year, Pegula insisted everything was fine between the two but they simply stopped playing doubles because they wanted to focus on singles.
"Coco and I played so much for a couple years there. We did great. A lot of really amazing results and memories. At the same time doing well in the singles court, we obviously didn't want to play as much anymore. The schedule just gets really, really tough. I've barely played this year, probably won't play any of the Grand Slams this year," the 31-year-old explained.
Opportunity Knocks For These Five Players in Canada
By Chris Oddo | Monday August 4, 2025
Among the handful of household names still very much in the mix ahead of quarterfinal action at the 1000-level events in Canada this week, there are a few newbies who could just be ready to make a big splash.
And a four-time major champion that has not seen much success at the biggest events of late.
Let’s have a look at some of the players that could produce breakout results over the next three days in Canada.
Alex Michelsen
The 20-year-old American has reached his maiden Masters quarterfinals, and that makes three American men in the quarters of a Masters event for the first time since 2004 Indian Wells: Michelsen, Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton.
Today Michelsen will face Karen Khachanov in Toronto as he bids to become the youngest American man to reach the semifinals at a Masters event since Andy Roddick won the 2003 title. Michelsen, who will rise to No.28 in the live rankings if he wins, is bidding to become the first player born in 2004 to reach a Masters semifinal.
Clara Tauson
The 22-year-old Dane has already defeated two Top-5 players in 2024. She has now reached her second WTA 1000 quarterfinal and is already up to a new career-high ranking of 17 in the live rankings. She’ll face Madison Keys on Tuesday.
Victoria Mboko
It’s all gravy for the youngest player remaining in the women’s draw – and the last Canadian standing in either event — in Montreal this week, as 18-year-old wild card Victoria Mboko faces Jessica Bouzas Maneiro for a spot in the semis on Monday night.
Mboko, making her main draw debut, defeated Coco Gauff to reach her maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal. Same for Bouzas Maneiro, and both players are bidding to reach their first tour-level semifinal.
Ben Shelton
22-year-old American Ben Shelton has already reached the semifinals at a major, but he hasn’t gone there at a Masters event thus far. He’ll have a chance to achieve the feat on Tuesday when he meets Alex de Minaur in Toronto, in a first-time meeting.
Of the eight men remaining in the singles draw in Toronto, only the Americans – Michelsen and Shelton – have yet to reach a Masters final.
Naomi Osaka
Could it be the four-time Slam champion’s time to shine again in Montreal? Naomi Osaka, with new coach Tomasz Wiktorowski at the helm, will bid for her first 1000-level semifinal since 2022 in Miami.
The former No.1, who rifled past Anastasija Sevastova in 49 minutes on Sunday, will face former champion Elina Svitolina on Tuesday.
Only four of the remaining eight players left in the Montreal draw have previously won a title at the 1000 level: Madison Keys, Elena Rybakina, Osaka and Svitolina
Coco Gauff quickly shuts down Victoria Mboko comparisons
Coco Gauff refused to compare Victoria Mboko to herself and also added that others should not engage in such conversations because it would be "unfair" toward the 18-year-old Canadian.
On Tuesday, the rising Canadian star – who is ranked at No. 85 in the world – registered her biggest win by ousting the top-seeded American 6-1 6-4 in the round-of-16 of the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal.
From start to finish, it was Mboko who had the upper hand as the 18-year-old impressively converted four of her five break point chances, as well as saved all of Gauff's five break point opportunities.
Before making her maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal in Montreal, Mboko won five ITF titles earlier this year. The Canadian, who was ranked at No. 333 when the 2025 season, is now guaranteed to improve at least 30 spots on Monday and be ranked inside the top-55 for the first time in her career.
Even before beating Gauff, Mboko drew certain comparisons to the American, who had a rapid start to her career. Those conversations only increased after the 18-year-old's impressive win on Saturday.
Gauff: I don't think it's fair to put that on Mboko
"No, she's a completely different player, completely different person. I've never been one to compare myself to others, whether it be like people comparing me to Serena or Venus, and I don't think it's fair to put that on her as well. Yeah, but I do see someone who is going to have a really bright future, for sure," the 21-year-old American responded when asked if she recognized herself in the Canadian.
Gauff didn't want to compare Mboko to herself but she gladly said what she liked about the Canadian's game.
"I mean, she's very athletic. She's a great ball striker, and she seems pretty positive out there on the court, doesn't get really too negative," the two-time Grand Slam winner explained.
Victoria Mboko asked what went through her head while Coco Gauff was spraying errors
Victoria Mboko claims she didn't think much or put any focus on Coco Gauff making errors on the court as she just wanted to stay locked in on executing her own tactics.
In front of their home fans, the 18-year-old Canadian pulled off a big upset and recorded the biggest win of her career after ousting the current world No. 2 and two-time Grand Slam champion 6-1 6-4 to reach the Montreal quarterfinal.
Going into the match, Gauff had struggled in her first two matches with double faults and unforced errors. And right from the start of their round-of-16 clash, Mboko took full control of the match and she was all over the top seed.
While the American tennis star found her footing in the second set, Mboko was still the one who came up big when it mattered the most, saving four break points in the seventh game before collecting the key break in the 10th game.
During the match, Gauff had six double faults and 24 unforced errors.
Mboko asked what crossed her mind when Gauff started making 'a lot of mistakes'
"Well, I mean, nothing really crosses my mind just because, I mean, that's the game. People make errors. It happens. I make errors too. So I was just really focused on myself and what I had to do. I didn't really focus as much as what she was doing in the match because I just wanted to play as solid of a game as I possibly could. I just wanted to do what I was supposed to do in the match and hope for the best," the world No. 85 explained.
When it comes to her own stats, Mboko was impressive – she had five break points and converted five of those. Also, the 18-year-old didn't allow Gauff to realize any of her five break point chances.
In her post-match presser, Gauff spoke highly of the rising Canadian tennis star and tipped her to have a bright future.
For a place in the Montreal semifinal, Mboko meets Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Montreal: Coco Gauff reduces double fault number but still gets ousted by world No.85
Coco Gauff reduced her double fault number against Victoria Mboko but still easily lost her Montreal round-of-16 match after the world No. 85 picked up a 6-1 6-4 win in just an hour and two minutes of play.
Right out the gate, rising Canadian star Mboko wanted to show that she came to play and she did so by impressively breaking the top seed three times in the first set to bag the opener.
After easily dropping the opening set, Gauff stabilized on her serve, but also failed to convert any of her four break points in the seventh game. That came back to haunt the American, who got broken in the 10th game of the second set – the game in which she was serving to stay in the match.
Through her first two Montreal matches, Gauff fired a total of 37 double faults. Against Mboko, the top seed had six double faults. But the issue was that she won only 12 of her 27 second serve points – saved only one of five break points she faced – all while also not realizing any of her five break points.
In her maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal, Mboko will play against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Mboko paid tribute to Gauff after their Montreal match
After sealing the biggest win of her career, the 18-year-old Canadian declared the 21-year-old American "a great champion."
“It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion," the world No. 85 said after beating the two-time Grand Slam winner.
Gauff also spoke highly of the rising Canadian tennis star, tipping her to do some nice things.
“I’m sure we’re going to have many more battles in the future. Yeah, I think she’s going to have a lot of success on tour," Gauff said of the 18-year-old.
World No. 51 Bouzas Maneiro is a pretty favorable quarterfinal matchup for Mboko and the home favorite will definitely like her chances of also making the Montreal semifinal.
Coco Gauff confesses one mistake she probably made after Montreal run ends in R16
Coco Gauff made an honest admission following her Montreal exit as the American tennis star admitted that she probably should have played in Washington and tried to kickstart her summer on hard courts in the United States capital.
After losing in the Wimbledon first round, Gauff went a full month without playing a match. This week, the world No. 2 returned to action by kicking off her North American hard-court swing at the WTA 1000 in Montreal. In Canada, the two-time Grand Slam champion heavily struggled with her serve and rhythm, but still managed to clinch ugly wins over Danielle Collins and Veronika Kudermetova before world No. 87 Victoria Mboko handed her a 6-1 6-4 loss.
Across her three matches played, Gauff served 43 double faults and committed over 100 unforced errors. After the Mboko loss, the reigning French Open winner was asked if she had an idea why it was so hard to find her game and rhythm in Montreal.
Gauff: Deciding to practice over playing in Washington maybe wasn't the right decision…
"I don't know. That's a good question, honestly. I felt like in practice I was playing well the last few weeks just practicing. I decided to take some time off and not play DC to actually focus on that, and maybe that wasn't the right decision. Maybe it was better to get more matches under my belt. But you know, it's the first tournament on the hard court season, so I'm hoping that in Cincy and in New York I can find that rhythm," the world No. 2 explained.
In four days, the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati is starting. While Gauff's Montreal run wasn't an impressive run, the 21-year-old still got some matches under her belt and that's a positive thing.
Cincinnati is a special place for Gauff, who lifted her maiden WTA 1000 crown in front of her home fans two years ago.
Ex-Slam champ finds it 'unbelievable' how Coco Gauff has been surviving in Montreal
Former three-time Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport says it is "unbelievable" that Coco Gauff has been winning matches in Montreal so far this week with her "C-level tennis."
So far, Gauff is two out of two at this year's Canadian Open. But both of her opening two matches were an absolute slugfest. Against Danielle Collins, the top seed sprayed a shocking 23 double faults and 74 unforced errors but still won 7-5 4-6 7-6 (2). In her following match, the two-time Grand Slam winner was down by a set a break – she fired 14 double faults – but somehow still found a way to beat Veronika Kudermetova 4-6 7-5 6-2.
As you could notice, Gauff's serving has been disastrous this week. But the top-seeded American is still alive and set to fight against Victoria Mboko for a place in the Montreal quarterfinal.
Davenport on Gauff's display in Montreal: Unbelievable she wins with her C-level tennis
“It was interesting she kept looking down at her grip when she was serving. It looked like they were trying to make some changes with the serve. She was not comfortable with it yet. It looks like they know it’s a problem and she didn’t have the confidence with it last night. Her toss was all over the place. But she still wins. It’s unbelievable her ability to figure out ways to win when she is playing, honestly, C-level tennis out there. She did a fantastic job managing her emotions," Davenport said on Tennis Channel.
Gauff's serving issues have been a major topic for the past two years. At times, the 21-year-old serves better consistently and that's when she usually does well. However, there are also periods when she simply can't catch any rhythm on her serve and that usually leads to some shock losses.
In Montreal, Gauff twice avoided picking a surprise defeat. It remains to be seen how she plays against Mboko.
Coco Gauff 'disappointed' in herself after another painful Montreal serving display
Coco Gauff admits she is disappointed in herself when it comes to her serving display in Montreal but also adds she is happy with the fact that so far she has managed to find ways to win ugly.
In the Montreal third round, the American – who is seeded at No. 1 in the absence of Aryna Sabalenka – sprayed 14 double faults against Veronika Kudermetova and she was down by a set and a break at one point. With her back turned against the wall and her serve not working, the two-time Grand Slam champion pulled off a big second-set comeback – gradually improved her serve as the match went on – and avoided a shock loss by beating world No. 42 Kudermetova 4-6 7-5 6-2.
Gauff, who had a first-round bye, also double-faulted 23 times during her opening Montreal win over Danielle Collins – that makes it 37 double faults across two matches played at the Canadian Open.
Gauff: I'm disappointed in myself when it comes to the serve part
"Yeah, I mean, there's positives and there's negatives. Obviously, I am so disappointed in myself when it comes to that part of the game just because I didn't play DC to work on that and made changes to that and doing well in practice and serving really well in practice. Yeah, so I just would like for it to transfer to the match. It does give positives that," the top seed said.
"'Okay, I'm winning these matches having literally like one part of my game on a crutch.' So it's like if I can stand on both feet, then I can only imagine that it would be a lot more straightforward and a lot more easier for me."
Gauff plays next against rising Canadian star Victoria Mboko. They met three months ago in Rome for the first time and the American was tested by the world No. 85 before coming back to win 3-6 6-2 6-1.
Gauff is evidently not happy with how she has served so far in Montreal and she will definitely emphasize doing much better in that department against Mboko.
Aryna Sabalenka gets candid in her YT vlog: 'So annoying… Feel like such a loser'
Aryna Sabalenka may have gone to Greece to try to relax after Wimbledon but admitted in a new vlog that she felt like "a loser" and that she couldn't fully enjoy her time in Mykonos because she still had thought about what happened at The Championships.
This year, Sabalenka appeared to be primed to finally make her Wimbledon breakthrough. But she was hit with a cold shower after Amanda Anisimova upset her in the semifinal. For the 27-year-old Belarusian, it was her third consecutive loss in the last-four stage at The All England Club.
In her post-match presser, Sabalenka didn't hide her disappointment but she also remarked that she was going to Mykonos, where she would be hard on alcohol and sweets. Now, ahead of her return to action in North America, the 27-year-old shed light on how she felt during the vacation.
Sabalenka: I'm going to be on the beach thinking, 'I am such a loser'
"I think it’s important to go and have fun and enjoy life. But it’s so f—— annoying about being an athlete, honestly. All your life depends on your result. You win and you are the happiest person that you can be. You just enjoy, life feels so good. But when you lose it’s just tough to enjoy. I am going to be there on the beach thinking it’s so beautiful, but I lost. I am such a loser. I hate myself. It’s like you are constantly living your life in these ups and downs," the 27-year-old said.
On paper, Sabalenka has had a great year at Grand Slams as she has been consistently delivering. But the world No. 1 still remains without her fourth Grand Slam title. At the start of the year, the Belarusian fell short to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final. A couple of months later, she also lost to Coco Gauff in the French Open title match.
Sabalenka will hope to at least defend her US Open title and make some amends.
Recovering from Surgery, Zheng Qinwen Out of US Open
Olympic gold-medal champion officially withdraws from US Open.
By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Monday, July 21, 2025
Photo credit: Zheng Qinwen Instagram
Zheng Qinwen has withdrawn from the US Open.
The Olympic gold-medal champion is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on her right elbow and will be sidelined as she heals from surgery.
Frenchwoman Leolia Jeanjean moves into the US Open main draw with Zheng's departure.
Zheng reached the US Open quarterfinals last September losing to eventual-champion Aryna Sabalenka.
The Chinese power player's Flushing Meadows quarterfinal result was part of a strong surge to end the season that saw Zheng reach three finals in her last five tournaments of 2024 as she lost to Sabalenka in the Wuhan final, defeated Sofia Kenin to win the Tokyo title and reached the final of the WTA Finals in Riyadh bowing to Coco Gauff.
"Over the past months, I’ve been dealing with persistent pain in my right elbow during training and matches. Despite trying various treatments to manage it, the discomfort never fully went away," Zheng wrote in an Instagram post over the weekend. "After consulting with elbow specialists and discussing thoroughly with my team, we decided that arthroscopic surgery was the best option to fully resolve the issue.
"Yesterday, I underwent the procedure successfully, and I’m grateful to have it behind me."
It is uncertain when the former Australian Open finalist can return though Zheng said she envisions "just a short break."
"Now begins the recovery journey. Over the next few weeks and months, I’ll be focusing entirely on rehab—doing everything I can to come back stronger and healthier," Zheng said. "This is just a short break, and I see it as a necessary step toward a better version of myself on court."
The world No. 6 reached the quarterfinals or better in six of her last eight tournaments.
A Rome semifinalist, Zheng reached the Roland Garros quarterfinals and Queen's Club semifinals bowing to Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova before she suffered a first-round loss to Katerina Siniakova at Wimbledon.
Wimbledon | Preview – Whose year is this? Sabalenka, Gauff, Pegula or dark horse Swiatek?
The draw for the Ladies Singles Championships was made on Friday, including direct entries, wild-cards and qualifiers, all 128 of them, who now know who they must face to advance from Monday onwards, if they are to stay in the running to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish on Saturday 12 July.
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Zheng Qinwen Cracks Top-4, 17-Year-Old Jovic Reaches Top 100
The Chinese star hits a new career-high after her semifinal run at Queen's Club.
By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday June 16, 2025
Zheng Qinwen has become the second Chinese woman to hold a Top-4 ranking. Only two-time major champion Li Na, who topped out at No.2, has done better.
22-year-old Zheng, who reached the semifinals at Queen’s Club last week, leapfrogs Jasmine Paolini in Monday’s WTA rankings.
Zheng is the fourth woman born in the 2000s to hold a Top-4 ranking, along with Bianca Andreescu, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek.
Maria Biggest Mover
The biggest riser inside the WTA’s Top-100 is Tatjana Maria, who jumps 43 spots to No.43 after claiming the title in Queen’s. The 37-year-old German is one spot shy of her career-high ranking, and is the oldest player inside the Top 100.
Jovic Cracks Top 100
Torrance, California native Iva Jovic won the 125K event in Ilkley, defeating Rebecca Marino in the final, and thus rises 26 spots to No.89 in the world. The American is the only player that has not turned 18 to rank inside of the WTA’s Top 200.
Only two teenagers – Mirra Andreeva and Maya Joint – currently rank higher than Jovic.
Paris | Gauff ends Boisson’s fairytale run to reach second French final
It took Coco Gauff, the No 2 in the world, to end Lois Boisson’s fairytale run at the French Open, disappointing millions of home fans, but the 22-year old wild-card could not muster the same resilience as she had in her previous matches to dent the American’s aggressive and athletic game, and succumbed, 6-1 6-2, in Thursday’s second semi-final on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
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Boisson By the Numbers: Inside the 22-Year-Old Frenchwomans' Breakout RG Performance
Lois Boisson, at 22, is in the midst of one of the most remarkable Roland-Garros runs in Open Era history.
By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday June 5, 2025
Paris – Lois Boisson is all the rage in Paris, after the 22-year-old Frenchwoman has surged into the semifinals on her Grand Slam debut. On Wednesday the grounds were teeming with excitement as grounds pass holders that couldn’t get into Chatrier to watch the match flooded into the Place des Mousquetaires and the courtyard in front of Court Suzanne-Lenglen to view the spectacle.
Boisson won in dramatic fashion against Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday, coming from 3-1 and 5-3 down in the opening set, then saving a set point in the first-set breaker. She then rallied from 3-0 down in the second set, winning the final six games to become the first Frenchwoman to reach the semifinals in Paris since 2011.
Boisson’s ride to the semifinals is one of the most remarkable runs in Open Era Grand Slam history, and it isn’t over yet. She’ll face Coco Gauff for a spot in the final.
Here are some of the stunning statistical details that the Dijon, Frances native has achieved already.
LOIS BOISSON.
REMEMBER THE NAME.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/brvgyZydRe— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2025
With her win Boisson became the second player in the last 40 years to defeat multiple top-10 opponents at her maiden Women’s Singles Grand Slam event, after Monica Seles at Roland-Garros 1989.
Boisson is the first player in the Open Era to reach the Women’s Singles semi-finals at the as a wild card at Roland-Garros, and she could become the first wild card Grand Slam finalist since Justine Henin at the Australian Open 2010.
Excluding unranked players, Lois Boisson is the lowest ranked (#361) to reach a Women’s Singles Grand Slam semi-finals in the last 40 years.
Boisson is the third player since 1980 to reach the semi-finals at their maiden Women’s Singles Grand Slam main draw appearance after Monica Seles (Roland Garros 1989) and Jennifer Capriati (Roland Garros 1990).
Having played just two WTA level matches prior to Roland-Garros, Boisson is the player with the fewest WTA level matches played prior to reaching her maiden Grand Slam semi-final in the Open Era, equalling Elisabeth Ekblom at the Australian Open 1976.
Paris | Gauff lines up Keys in Roland Garros quarter-finals
World No 2 Coco Gauff continued her march into the quarter-finals at the French Open with a 6-0 7-5 win over Ekaterina Alexandrova, and will meet fellow American Madison Keys for a spot in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
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Americans Land Eight in Roland-Garros Round of 16, Most Since 1985
It's been a banner year for Team USA on the Parisian clay.
By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday May 31, 2025
Paris – American tennis has smashed a record that stood for 40 years at Roland-Garros. Eight Americans – five women, three men – have reached the singles Round of 16 at the French Open for the first time in 40 years.
The last time the Roland-Garros fourth round featured eight or more American players was 1985, also with five women and three men.
On the women’s side, Coco Gauff, Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova and Hailey Baptiste reached the fourth round. On the men’s side, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe made it through.
The American men have placed three in the second week for the first time since 1995. All three Americans will be in action on Sunday in Paris, with Shelton taking on Alcaraz, Paul facing Alexei Popyrin and Tiafoe facing Daniel Altmaier.
On the women’s side, Anisimova will face Aryna Sabalenka on Sunday.
Keys will face Baptiste in an all-American clash on Monday, Pegula will take on France’s Loic Boisson, while Gauff will face Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia.