Gauff Grinds Past Badosa to Stay on Track for US Open Defence

Coco Gauff kept her US Open title defence firmly on track with a gritty straight-sets win over Paula Badosa in the second round — but the fourth seed had to dig deep before sealing it.

Gauff had dropped her last two meetings with the Spaniard, so this was never going to be a walk in the park. She delivered anyway, though not without a heart-in-mouth moment late in the second set.

Nerves at the Net, Ice in the Tiebreak

Gauff opened up a double break lead twice during the second set and served for the match at 6-5, only to dump a volley into the net and hand the momentum back to Badosa. The crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium held its breath.

A sharp "why?" directed at her team box followed, but Gauff flipped the switch fast. She reset, stepped into the tiebreak with purpose, and closed out the match on her second match point. Clinical.

That mental reset has become something of a trademark for the 22-year-old, who showed similar composure during her run at the Cincinnati Open earlier this summer.

Serve Was the Difference

One of the cleaner stats on the day: Gauff won 57% of second-serve points and committed just five double faults. For a player who has had her serve scrutinised plenty over the years, that's a significant marker of growth.

She was tested — she'll be the first to admit it — but it never looked like she was going to crumble. According to BBC Sport, Gauff described the outing as being "battle-tested," adding that she needed exactly that kind of match to sharpen her confidence heading deeper into the draw.

"I saw the draw — it is definitely not someone you want to play in the second round," Gauff said. "But I need matches like this to build my confidence and I'm happy with how I managed today."

Finishing in straight sets was equally important. "Getting through in straight sets too makes a big difference. Yes, I was battle-tested, but I think it was a good battle where I wasn't out on the court for three hours."

The Road to Number One

There's a bigger prize quietly dangling in the background. Gauff could leave Flushing Meadows as world number one — but only if she wins the title AND second seed Elena Rybakina fails to reach the semi-finals.

Rybakina is not making that easy. The Kazakh rolled past Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-2, 6-4 to move into the third round and keep her own ranking push alive.

Still, Gauff controls what she can control — and right now, she's moving in the right direction.

Women's Top 10 Make History

The third-round field made a bit of history too. With all top-10 women advancing, it's the first time every member of the women's top 10 has reached the third round of a Grand Slam since Wimbledon back in 2009. That's the kind of depth that makes this draw genuinely exciting.

Elsewhere in the women's bracket, Iga Swiatek — the six-time major winner and former world number one — cruised past Nadia Podoroska 6-3, 6-2 without breaking a sweat. She'll face Marie Bouzkova next.

American wildcard Madison Keys had a much rougher ride. The 22nd seed survived five match points against Hungary's Anna Bondar, clawing back from a double break down in the third set to win 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (10-5) in what was easily the drama of the day.

What's Next for Gauff

Gauff's third-round assignment will demand more of the same grit. The draw is loaded, the competition is relentless, and the defending champion label comes with a target on your back at every turn.

But if today was any indication, Gauff isn't rattled by any of it. She's been here before — she won this title in 2023 — and she looks every bit capable of going the distance again.

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