Coco Gauff recovers to beat Donna Vekic and advance at the US Open

Coco Gauff recovered from a tough start to defeat Donna Vekic 7-6(5), 6-2 and advance to the third round of the US Open. The world No. 3 struggled in a battle against the Olympic Games silver medalist and got her revenge for the loss she suffered in Paris 2024, overcoming erratic moments, especially in the first set.

The local player arrived at the US Open with doubts about her level over the last month, particularly concerning her serve. While she secured a victory in the first round against Ajla Tomljanovic, she didn't completely clear up the doubts, committing 10 double faults in her debut and having to take the match to a third set.

Gauff knew that her opponent wouldn't just be the Croatian, but also her own ability to overcome her service problems. A total of 7 double faults throughout the match—a couple of them at critical moments—were once again an issue for the American, but she managed to show her class to claim the victory in straight sets.

Coco Gauff survives roller-coaster first set

At the start of the match, Vekic was the first to take advantage of her opponent's service problems, getting an early break. With her serve, she went up 2-0, and just like in the first round, Gauff started from behind on the scoreboard. However, she managed to recover quickly, taking two consecutive breaks and going from 0-2 down to 4-2 up with her serve.

Nevertheless, Vekic didn't make things easy and quickly got the break back. It was a rollercoaster with breaks for both players. Vekic served twice to win the set, but both times Gauff fought back. A double fault from Gauff gave Vekic a 6-5 lead, who then went to the bench and called for a medical time-out due to some discomfort in her right arm. Gauff's body language, on the other hand, showed anxiety; her hands were even shaking while her opponent was being treated by the physiotherapist.

The Croatian started the next game with a double fault, and then a couple of unforced errors gave Gauff new hope. Vekic committed a double fault for the second time in the game, and everything was to be decided in a tie-break. The dynamic was the same: inconsistent serving and double faults from both sides kept both players with a chance to win the set. However, it was Gauff who seized her opportunity on her serve and closed out a hard-fought first set 7-6(5) after 65 minutes.

Gauff takes control on the second set

The second set started with both players comfortably holding their serves, but it was Gauff who secured the first break. Vekic was no stranger to service problems, and she also had a series of double faults that caused issues. The Croatian—who had totaled 9 double faults in the first set—began to take fewer risks with her second serve, which Gauff capitalized on. The American gained confidence as the games went on, looking more secure and reducing her own double-fault problem.

Gauff landed 77% of her first serves in the second set, winning 70% of those points and improving on her first-set numbers. In fact, this time the former US Open champion gave away very few opportunities on her serve and was effective in key moments, converting two out of two break points.

Gauff comfortably won the second set against an erratic Vekic and closed out the victory 7-6(5), 6-2, securing her spot in the third round. The world No. 3 will face her next challenge against the 28th seed, Magdalena Frech, who is coming off a tough battle against local player Peyton Stearns in the second round.

Match Statistics Vekic vs. Gauff