Coco Gauff began her campaign for a second US Open title with a straight-sets victory over Zeynep Sonmez on Tuesday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. The No. 4 seed secured a 6-3, 6-4 win, overcoming some initial resistance from the Turkish qualifier before pulling away in the latter stages of the match. Gauff’s next opponent will be either Paula Badosa or Daria Kasatkina.
Gauff acknowledged the quality of Sonmez’s play, praising her opponent’s ability to maintain a high level of performance, while emphasizing her own readiness to elevate her game when necessary. This marks a significant improvement from last year’s tournament, where Gauff struggled with serving issues and exited in the fourth round after a loss to Naomi Osaka. Since then, Gauff has built momentum with a title at the Cincinnati Open and semifinal appearances at Wimbledon and the Toronto Open.
Meanwhile, several other players delivered notable performances amid a rainy day that caused delays and restricted play to limited courts. French veteran Gael Monfils celebrated his 40th birthday with a victory, extending his Grand Slam career as fans serenaded him after his match. No. 17 seed Alex Eala also advanced comfortably, defeating American Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2 in front of her Filipino supporters.
Italian Flavio Cobolli staged a remarkable comeback after dropping the first two sets, rallying to defeat Francisco Comesana 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in a match lasting over four hours. The French Open runner-up credited a mid-match break and a wardrobe change for helping him reset. Cobolli’s recovery prevented him from joining higher seeds Novak Djokovic and Arthur Fils, both surprisingly eliminated early. Another top Italian, Jannik Sinner, withdrew prior to the tournament with a knee injury.
Maria Sakkari also overcame adversity, erasing a significant deficit to edge Robin Montgomery 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 after rain delays contributed to a late start. She highlighted the mental focus and experience needed to prevail over the less seasoned opponent.
Top seeds continued to advance with relative ease. No. 9 seed Taylor Fritz defeated 18-year-old compatriot Darwin Blanch 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, while rising star Mirra Andreeva beat Janice Tien 6-2, 6-2. No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina resumed action outdoors after weather interruptions to beat 17-year-old Reilly Frodin 6-3, 6-2. Frodin is noted for her role as a body double in the film “King Richard.”
The challenging weather conditions resulted in some first-round matches extending into Wednesday, with play limited mostly to Ashe and Louis Armstrong Stadium courts. No. 22 seed Madison Keys overcame a tough test from 19-year-old Alina Korneeva, winning 7-5, 6-4, reflecting on the difficulty of managing nerves and facing aggressive young rivals in early rounds.
No. 12 seed Belinda Bencic, who recently reached the mixed doubles final alongside Cobolli, was upset by Yulia Putintseva in three sets. As the tournament progresses, the combination of high-level tennis and unpredictable conditions continues to test the field at Flushing Meadows.