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Defending champ Coco Gauff is OUT at US Open after struggling with serve in ANOTHER loss to Emma Navarro
Defending champion Coco Gauff is out of the US Open after a nightmare display against Emma Navarro, losing 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Damningly, Gauff hit more double faults (19) than winners (14).
It is the second Grand Slam in a row, after Wimbledon, in which Gauff has lost to Navarro.
This was a scrappy contest and a difficult watch at times. Navarro will not win many matches in which she hit 20 winners and 35 unforced errors; those are bad numbers but Gauff’s were catastrophic: 14 winners and 60 unforced errors.
Six-time US Open champion Chrissie Evert, on commentary for ESPN, said she had never seen Gauff play so poorly.
Asked if she would consider hiring a biomechanics coach to consult on her service motion – as Aryna Sabalenka did to such great effect recently – Gauff replied: ‘For sure. I definitely want to get other opinions but also I think it's sometimes more of an emotional, mental thing because if I go out on the practice court right now, I would make, like, 30 serves in a row. I've done it before.
Defending champion Coco Gauff is out of the US Open after a nightmare display
Gauff lost to Emma Navarro, who also authored her exit from Wimbledon
‘It's kind of a mental hurdle that I have to get over. But, yeah, I definitely want to look at other things because I don't want to lose matches like this anymore.’
Navarro, born right here in New York City, will continue her campaign against Spaniard Paula Badosa in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.
As for Gauff, a barren year in the majors is over and she simply has to improve her second serve if she is to return to the winners' circle. Coming into this match she led the tour in double faults this season, with 296.
This match took her well over 300. Among the rest of the top eight players in the world, no one has hit more than 200 doubles this year and only Sabalenka has more than 150.
Navarro came out on top on Sunday as Gauff dropped the game, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Gauff hit more double faults (19) than winners (14) in the disappointing display
Navarro will face Paula Badosa in the quarterfinal of the US Open on Tuesday
There seems to be a lack of fluidity in Gauff’s service action, a fractional pause after the toss which allows the ball to drop and leads her to collapse into the motion, rather than driving upwards.
Serving at 2-3 in the first set, from 15-30 Gauff served consecutive double faults to concede the break. Another double fault at 3-3 in the second set gave Navarro break point and she slid a forehand winner down the line.
Gauff responded superbly, winning 14 of the next 16 points. But then again, at 1-1 in the decider, she hit three double faults in four points to go a break down.
A second Gauff comeback was not forthcoming as Navarro held her nerve, and her serve.
Navarro is three years older than Gauff at 23, but in tennis terms she is far less experienced. While Gauff made her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon aged 15, this is only Navarro’s second season on the WTA tour. She played college tennis for the Virginia Cavaliers, where she won the NCAA singles title in 2021.
Her rise up the rankings has been rapid and she has a wonderfully complete and versatile game. Navarro looks to have an excellent temperament and a high tennis IQ.
She also looks to have the edge in this matchup and that spells trouble for Gauff for years to come. As Gauff herself said of Navarro: ‘She's a great returner. She does a great job with just redirecting. She's kind of an all-court player. She can do everything.’