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Coco Gauff makes admission about ‘collapsing mentally on court’ ahead of Emma Navarro rematch

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Coco Gauff US Open

Coco Gauff came through a tough three-setter against Elina Svitolina to set up a fascinating rematch with Emma Navarro at the US Open and she acknowledged ahead of the clash that she will “need to bring it and mentally”.

Defending champion Gauff made a sluggish start against Svitolina in the third round as she looked to be on her way out after she lost the first set and found herself break point down in the second set.

But she held her serve and broke in the sixth game before dominating the deciding set for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory in what was her 10th consecutive win at the US Open.

Coco Gauff Emma Navarro US Open

READ: Iga Swiatek admits she ‘doesn’t feel safe’ as ‘hate’ flows in her direction

Up next is fellow American Navarro, who defeated Gauff at Wimbledon just over a month ago.

The 20-year-old was world No 2 at the time and was the heavy favourite, but she was never at the races as her compatriot came away with a 6-4, 6-2 win.

“With Emma, I feel like that match at Wimbledon I think I mentally just literally collapsed on the court. I was very frustrated, and she played well. That was, I think to me, the best tennis she played, like that tournament,” she explained.

“Obviously, I didn’t see her first round, but I watched a little bit her second and third. I think that was like the best she played that week.

“Yeah, so I think going into this match, I have to expect her to play her best tennis, and I just need to know that I need to bring it and mentally be there from the beginning to the end because she’s going to be a tough opponent.”

Gauff is looking to become the first player since Serena Williams won three in a row from 2012 to 2014 to successfully defend her title.

But she knows there is still a long way to go in the tournament and needs to keep the expectations to a minimum.

“At the end of the day, to defend would be great,” the third seed said. “But I feel like it’s an unnecessary amount of pressure to put that on yourself. When you step on the court, you just have that feeling. It’s like, ‘OK, I know I can perform really well here. I’ve done it before in the past, and I’ll do it again.’

“That’s been my motto. I know I have the chance to do it again, whether it happens 2024 or years in the future, I think I have the belief that I will do it again.”

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Defeated Carlos Alcaraz makes brutal ‘not changing’ admission after stunning US Open loss

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Carlos Alcaraz US Open

Carlos Alcaraz sensationally admitted that he feels like he is “not changing” after crashing out in the second round of the US Open.

World No 3 and reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz came into New York as one of the favourites for the title, looking to add to his 2022 US Open triumph.

However, in one of the biggest upsets in tournament history, the former world No 1 was comprehensively outplayed in a 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 loss to Botic van de Zandschulp on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Carlos Alcaraz's Grand Slam win streak ends with US Open exit

JUST IN: Iga Swiatek admits she ‘doesn’t feel safe’ as ‘hate’ flows in her direction

It was a scintillating performance from the world No 74, who claimed just the second top-five win of his performance in convincing fashion.

But it was a messy performance from Alcaraz, who was broken six times across the match and hit 27 errors compared to just 21 winners.

And the 21-year-old pulled no punches post-match.

In a brutal press conference, he admitted that he is “not changing” and is failing to learn from past defeats.

He said: “There was a lot of emotions I couldn’t control, it was kind of up in some points, then I lose in some points and it gets down.

“It was like a rollercoaster in my mind – it can be like that if I want to think about big things. I have to improve it, I have to learn about it.

“There’s a few matches that I’ve felt like that, where – after every match that I felt like that – I always said the same: I said to learn about it, I have to think about it. If I’m feeling what I’m thinking right now, I’m not changing. That’s the problem.

“If I’m going to sit here after the matches that I feel or I felt like that I couldn’t deal with it, that I couldn’t change the match, couldn’t push up a little bit and say I have to think about it, I have to learn about it, I’m never going to change. It’s going to be really tough if I want to improve, so I can’t say much about it.

“It was a fight against myself, my mind, during the match. In tennis, you are playing against someone who wants the same as you – to win the match.

“You have to be as much calm as you can, you have to think better during the match and try to do good things. Today I was playing against the opponent and I was playing against myself, in my mind.”

Defeat for Alcaraz comes after a summer that has become more increasingly difficult for him.

Initially, he was flying high after triumphs at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, though has now lost three of his past four matches.

The Spaniard was beaten in the Olympic Games final to Novak Djokovic and then lost his opening match at the Cincinnati Open to Gael Monfils, before his round two defeat in New York.

Defeat also means that, at best, he will stay as world No 3 after the US Open, with Alexander Zverev guaranteed to move ahead of him in the ATP Rankings.

Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic could also leapfrog him with runs to the title.

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Iga Swiatek admits she ‘doesn’t feel safe’ as ‘hate’ flows in her direction

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Iga Swiatek US Open

Iga Swiatek has admitted she feels threatened by the abuse flowing her way online, as she opened up in his latest US Open press conference.

The Pole, gunning for a second title at Flushing Meadows, dropped just one game as she dispatched Ena Shibahara 6-0 6-1 in 65 minutes.

Only three players (Margaret Court – 11, Maria Sharapova – 8, Evonne Goolagong – 8) have registered more sets of 6-0 score line from their first 22 matches in women’s singles at US Open than Swiatek (7) during the Open Era, with her status a favourite to win a second title in New York strengthened by her dominant win against Shibahara.

Iga Swiatek joins Serena Williams and other legends with two stellar achievements at US Open

READ: Carlos Alcaraz is one of 4 men to hold record that eluded Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer

Yet it was her comments in her post-match press conference that may have been her most significant contribution to the game, as she spoke about the impact online abuse can have on her.

Swiatek insisted she doesn’t follow all the abusive messages flowing her way on social media, but the level of venom coming her way does occasionally get through.

“I’m only kind of seeing the messages from my close ones, the ones that I already accepted, but for sure there is a lot of hate,” she said, suggesting her social media feeds are restricted to messages from approved followers.

“It would be nice if we can try to educate people and also maybe in the future have some solutions as, you know, using Al to make it safer for us.

“Because I feel like we can’t be on the internet and feel like kind of safe anymore. You have to really be careful about what you’re reading and who you’re following.

“I know that there are some tools that, for example, Roland Garros offered for us, like this app that we can have on the phone, and it’s going to block the hateful messages.

“My team also has been kind of looking in my case what kind of messages have been blocked or not when we’re using this app. It would be nice if we had more opportunities to use these kind of tools because it’s always some kind of help.”

Swiatek will doubtless avoid the social media barbs as she looks towards the second week of the US Open and she is excited by her form heading into the business end of the tournament.

“I was just happy with the way I played, not overpowering and being really solid and picking the right shots to be reactive, I am happy with everything,” said Swiatek.

“I felt in much better rhythm. I was a bit tense in my last match. I just wanted to focus on myself and that’s what I did.”

The withdrawal of No 4 seed Elena Rybakina from the US Open due to illness could have an impact on Swiatek as she was due to meet her old rival in the semi-finals in New York.

Swiatek will now play Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the third round, with American Jessica Pegula the most threatening player in her section of the draw.

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Carlos Alcaraz is one of 4 men to hold record that eluded Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer

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Carlos Alcaraz Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal Roger Federer

Carlos Alcaraz preserved his unbeaten record in opening round matches at Grand Slams with his four-set victory over Li Tu at the 2024 US Open.

The world No 3, who is the defending French Open and Wimbledon champion, saw off Tu, who is ranked 186th in the world, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 at Flushing Meadows.

The Spaniard is one of only four men who have not lost in the first round of a major, with even the Big Three suffering this fate on multiple occasions each.

Carlos Alcaraz gives his verdict on GOAT debate between Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer

JUST IN: Iga Swiatek joins Serena Williams and other legends with two stellar achievements at US Open

Roger Federer lost six opening round Grand Slam matches, Rafael Nadal has lost three, while Novak Djokovic has lost two.

Here are the four players with a 100% win rate in opening round men’s singles matches at Grand Slams in the Open Era (in 128-player, seven round draws).

Rod Laver – 11-0

Rod Laver won all 11 of the first round matches he played in Open Era Grand Slam tournaments that used the 128-player draw, seven round format.

From these 11 campaigns, the Australian icon secured titles at Wimbledon (1968 and 1969), the French Open (1969) and the US Open (1969). In total, Laver won 11 majors and 72 singles titles recognised by the ATP in his career.

Ken Rosewall – 15-0

Ken Rosewall amassed a perfect 15-0 record in opening round contests at 128-player draw majors in the Open Era.

From these 15 Grand Slams, the Australian great won the US Open in 1970, while he was also a runner-up at Wimbledon (1970 and 1974) and the US Open (1974). Rosewall won eight major titles and 40 ATP-listed singles titles overall.

Carlos Alcaraz – 15-0

Alcaraz has won every first round match he has played in his 15 Grand Slam main draw appearances in his career to date.

The 21-year-old Spanish star has secured four titles from his 14 previous major campaigns and has reached at least the quarter-finals nine times. Alcaraz’s opening round win at the 2024 US Open took his Grand Slam record to a superb 60-10.

Bjorn Borg – 26-0

Bjorn Borg holds the record for the most opening round major matches won without losing, having finished his career with a perfect 26-0 record.

The Swedish legend won 11 Grand Slam titles and advanced to the quarter-finals or better in 21 of his 26 major main draw appearances. Borg compiled an outstanding 141-16 Grand Slam match record.

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Iga Swiatek joins Serena Williams and other legends with two stellar achievements at US Open

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Iga Swiatek Serena Williams US Open

Iga Swiatek achieved two impressive feats that highlight her immense success and consistency with her opening round victory at the 2024 US Open.

The world No 1 earned a hard-fought 6-4, 7-6(6) win against world No 104 Kamilla Rakhimova on Arthur Ashe Stadium to begin her quest to win a second US Open title.

Swiatek was broken when serving for the match at 5-3 in the second set and won five straight points after trailing 3-6 in the tiebreak — saving three set points in the process — to prevail.

Iga Swiatek's US Open peaks with overdue Serena Williams meeting, selfie

READ: Iga Swiatek stands firm on ‘crazy’ scheduling comments and insists tennis is going in the wrong direction

The Polish star is seeking her sixth Grand Slam title, having won the French Open in four of the last five years and the US Open in 2022.

“At the beginning [it was] good, but then I got a little bit tight and my opponent used that, so I was trying to get back to my game,” Swiatek said in a post-match interview. “I’m pretty sure that day by day I’m going to get more rhythm.”

With her opening round triumph at Flushing Meadows, Swiatek became the fifth-youngest woman in the Open Era to win 20 consecutive Grand Slam first round matches at 23 years and 88 days.

Swiatek started the streak at the 2019 US Open after suffering the only opening round exit in her major career at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.

Maria Sharapova is the youngest player to win 20 straight opening round women’s singles Grand Slam opening round encounters, having achieved this at the age of 21 years and 37 days.

Caroline Wozniacki (21 years, 321 days), Lindsay Davenport (21 years, 351 days) and Gabriela Sabatini (22 years, 247 days) are the only other woman to accomplish this at a younger age than Swiatek.

In addition, Swiatek’s win was her 80th Grand Slam victory in her 97th match and only two tennis legends have reached this milestone in fewer matches this century.

Serena Williams earned 80 wins from her first 93 major singles matches, while Venus Williams achieved this in 94 matches.

Swiatek will face world No 217 Ena Shibahara, a 26-year-old Japanese qualifier, in the second round on Thursday.

Shibahara struck 57 winners during her three-set win over Daria Saville, which is the highest number any player hit in the first round of the women’s singles event in New York.

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‘I wasn’t aware of it to be honest’ – Novak Djokovic sets new men’s record at US Open

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Novak Djokovic US Open

The milestones continue to pile up for Novak Djokovic with the tennis great setting a new record for most wins by a man on Arthur Ashe Stadium with his latest victory at the US Open.

Fresh from completing a career Golden Slam following his gold medal success at the Paris Olympics, Djokovic opened his title defence at Flushing Meadows with a solid 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 victory over qualifier Radu Albot in the first round on the showpiece court on Monday.

The victory was Djokovic’s 89th at the US Open with 78 of those coming on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the latter a new record for most wins on Ashe by a man.

Novak Djokovic Olympic Games

READ: ANALYSIS: The story of Jannik Sinner’s doping scandal as fans and players wait with anger

He also joined Roger Federer in second place for most wins at the US Open with Jimmy Connors’ record of 98 safe for at least another year.

“I wasn’t aware of it [record for most wins on Arthur Ashe] to be honest. It’s the biggest stadium. Definitely the loudest we have in the history of our sport,” the 24-time Grand Slam winner said. “The night sessions are the best in the world on Arthur Ashe. Ever since the roof was introduced it became even louder. Electric atmosphere. Incredible energy.

“Obviously with some new rules this year with the crowd able to move around, there are a lot of things happening on court. We’re clocking midnight right now. I love night seasons, maybe not this late, but nevertheless it was great fun.”

Djokovic broke twice in the first set, three times in the second and once in the third although Albot did get some joy in the second set as he managed one break of serve.

The victory also helped him to extend his streak for most first-round wins at Grand Slams as he now sits on 71 – well clear of Roger Federer on 65 in second place with Chris Evert third on 56.

The second seed, though, acknowledges he needs to brush up on his game as he made 40 unforced errors, served 10 double faults and landed 47 per cent of first serves.

But considering it is his first match on a hard court in months, a win is always welcome.

“I wanted to kick start the tournament in the right way and I think I did,” Djokovic, who faces fellow Serbian Laslo Djere in the second round, said. “Some ups and downs which I think is normal, getting the rust off your shoulders coming off a different surface and the Olympic Games.

“I haven’t played on hard courts for six months, so I’m still finding that groove, finding the tempo on the court.”

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TENNIS

[VIDEO] US Open 2024: More Pressure on Coco Gauff to Defend

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Coco Gauff 2024 US Open

The US Open is here, and with it comes a wave of excitement and anticipation that sweeps through tennis fans worldwide. But with all that excitement, there’s also a hefty dose of pressure, especially for the local favorite, Coco Gauff.

As the American sensation steps onto the court, she’s not just playing for herself—she’s carrying the hopes and expectations of millions. The buzz around her is electric, but with the buzz comes the weight of responsibility.

In a video shared by the official X account of the US Open, several fans can be seen predicting the title winner. On the men’s side, there seemed to be a draw between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, with several fans supporting either of the two as the probable title contender. But on the women’s side, Gauff emerged as the clear favorite. Although the names of Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek can also be heard in the video, the number of people backing them is very few.

JUST IN: Novak Djokovic sends ‘different mode’ warning as he addresses US Open injury ‘issues’

Gauff has not witnessed a remarkable season in the American hard-court swing this year, so far. She was ousted in her second match of the Canadian Open, where she faced a defeat from Diana Shnaider. Similar situations unfolded for the star player at the Cincinnati Masters, where she was baffled in her opening match itself, against Yulia Putinsteva. But despite the setbacks, Gauff has found great support from her fans and well-wishers ahead of the US Open.

For Gauff, this support comes at a time when the star player herself admitted the increased pressure on her shoulders. Remember, the 20-year-old would be entering the US Open as the defending champion and hence, expectations from her to win the title are immense. Gauff reflected upon this and said, “Obviously, coming in as defending champion is a little bit of pressure, but also more of a privilege, because as my new motto is: If you defend, that means you won something before.”

But the major question that emerges amidst the support is: Can Gauff rise to the occasion? While the increased anticipation might result in increased pressure, the American star opened up about her form ahead of the US Open.

Coco Gauff might have underperformed at the American hardcourt swing this season so far, but that does not nullify the challenge that she would be posing for her opponents. Ahead of the final grand slam of the year, Gauff revealed that she is well-poised and is having great practice sessions.

Speaking in the pre-tournament presser, the reigning US Open champion said, “The last couple of practices have gone really well, which before, like, during Cincinnati wasn’t having great practices, in Toronto wasn’t having great practices. Here I’m having great practices, which, you know, doesn’t mean I’m going to go out on the match and play great, but it does give you more confidence when you’re actually practicing great the week before a tournament, yeah.”

With Gauff’s first match less than 24 hours away, it would be interesting to see if her intense practice sessions amalgamated with the support she is receiving help her win big at the US Open. Can she defend her title?

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Novak Djokovic sends ‘different mode’ warning as he addresses US Open injury ‘issues’

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Novak Djokovic has confirmed he has been dealing with some physical “issues” ahead of the 2024 US Open, but clarified it is “nothing serious in the wider context.”

The 24-time major champion also proclaimed that he possesses a mode inside him “that is different” and that he is “just a different competitor” when big tournaments start.

Djokovic practised with Holger Rune for around an hour on an outside court at Flushing Meadows on Friday and was due to continue training with the Dane on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

This is Novak Djokovic's possible draw at the US Open 2024 | Puntodebreak.com

READ: Coco Gauff: Finishing late can really ruin your tournament but US Open taking positive steps

However, despite Djokovic’s bags being brought to the court and members of his team being present, the Serb did not participate in the second part of the session after receiving treatment.

While this raised concerns over Djokovic’s fitness ahead of his US Open title defence, the 37-year-old has since practised on Saturday and Sunday.

In an interview with Serbian media, Djokovic provided an update on his physical condition that will be reassuring to his fans.

“On Friday, I practised for an hour on the outside courts, and then I had some issues, so I didn’t practise any further at Arthur Ashe,” said the world No 2.

“Today (on Saturday), it wasn’t much of an issue, so I practised with [Stan] Wawrinka both on the outside court and on Ashe, where we get an hour per day. So far, everything is fine, it’s nothing serious in the wider context.”

The tennis great was also asked about his lack of hard-court matches heading into the New York major after he withdrew from the Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati.

“I’m not in my twenties anymore, I can’t chase the tournaments that are not absolute priority,” Djokovic explained. “As you guys know, those are Slams, Davis Cup and the Olympics.

“Those inspire me to compete, but I also enjoy the process of practice, of building up your form, body, and mind for the biggest challenges, such as this one in New York.

“It would probably be better if I had a few matches under my belt, but that was the calendar this year, the Games were the priority.

“I came to New York on Tuesday, practising every day and raising my level, although, I must admit, I am jet-lagged more than usual. I don’t know what’s going on, it’s like a part of me stayed in Europe.

“I know that, when a tournament this big starts, I have a mode inside me that is different – when the ball starts rolling, when it starts, I am just a different competitor.

“I hope that the first match will go well, that’s always desirable, and then we’ll take it from there.”

Djokovic will start his campaign today against world No 138 Radu Albot, a Moldovan qualifier. It will be the Serbian’s first match since beating Carlos Alcaraz in the Olympic gold medal match.

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[VIDEO] “I just stopped my practice just for precaution”: False alarm for Carlos Alcaraz amid US Open practice ankle roll

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Carlos Alcaraz US Open

Carlos Alcaraz had to stop his practice against Francisco Cerundolo and footage circulated of an ankle roll he suffered. But he was optimistic that it wouldn’t stop his chances at the US Open.

Alcaraz will face Li Tu on Tuesday and said that he will be back practicing near 100% without thinking about it tomorrow. He said that it was mere precaution that made him stop.

JUST IN: Coco Gauff: Finishing late can really ruin your tournament but US Open taking positive steps

“Well, I think it is okay. You know, I just stopped my practice just for precaution. I didn’t feel comfortable enough to keep practicing just in case if everything is going to be worse,” said Alcaraz. “But, you know, after a few hours later, I’m still feeling good, you know, my feet, so tomorrow I will try to be practicing again 100% without thinking about it, but today I’ll take care about it.”

He also was asked about the Olympic Games disappointment and said that it was difficult to deal with but is looking forward to another chance in four years in LA.
“Well, this is one of the most important final of my career, of my life. I know that the Olympic Games is every four years, so I don’t know if I’m gonna have another chance to win the gold. I’m gonna fight for it, for sure, the next Olympic Games.
“But it was a difficult moment to deal for me, you know, losing the gold medal in a really close match that I had opportunities.
“But, you know, in front of me, I had a really good player that he was fighting for the same thing as me, and he deserved it. So days after the Olympics was, okay, I realize that I won the silver medal, it was a great achievement for me that I have to be proud of. You know, I try to keep going, try to learn about this match.
“Just the next finals or the next important matches of my career I’m gonna deal in a different way or a better way than I did in Olympics. Well, I realize that it was an important moment of my life.”
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Coco Gauff: Finishing late can really ruin your tournament but US Open taking positive steps

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Coco Gauff US Open

Coco Gauff believes that a really late finish can ruin a Grand Slam run for a player although she hasn’t experienced one herself.

She added that men are much more likely to endure a late finish given that they play five-setters.

The US Open has had quite a few really late finishes notably in 2022 when Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in a five-set quarter-final that lasted more than five hours and concluded at 2:50 am, the latest finish in tournament history.

El sueño de Cori Gauff en el Miami Open 2024

READ: Scars Still Fresh for Coco Gauff as She Reacts to the US Open Implementing Latest Technology Demanded by Her

“Yeah, so I’ve never actually had a super late finish just because I’ve just been lucky that either the match will go super fast or anything like that.

“But obviously I do think that finishing late can really ruin your tournament, especially, like, on the guys’ side when they, you know, if they go on at, like, 11:00 or 12:00, you know, max maybe the longest a women’s match will go two hours or three hours, but men’s can go, like, five.”

The US Open has announced that they would not be enforcing a curfew during this year’s competition, but they have decided to loosen their rules on match scheduling.

The Arthur Ashe evening session starts at 19:00 local time, and the tournament this year will follow suit.

The USTA has, however, officially said that in the event that matches are not underway by 11:15 p.m., the tournament referee will have greater discretion in deciding whether to transfer them to different courts for as long as this is feasible.

Gauff believes that is a step in the right direction from the US Open.

“I think for me I think I heard US Open this year if you’re going to start after 11:00 they’re going to move your court. I think that’s a good initiative to start. You may win that match that day but your sleep schedule and everything is completely messed up for the rest of the tournament. So it does put that person at a disadvantage,” Gauff reasoned.

“So I think right now with that new policy, I think that’s the best way to address it. I mean, we won’t know until we test a lot of things, but I think this is a good start.”

Gauff said that she doesn’t feel much different returning to Flushing Meadows as the reigning champion and her on-site preparation has felt the same.

“Not really, because I feel like I was in a crazy position last year where there was a lot surrounding me, like, before this, even before I was a Grand Slam champion,” She said when asked how if felt to come back as a winner.

“So, you know, I had basically the same busy pre-week this week as I had last year pre-week of US Open.

“So I think that’s where it was a little bit easier coming into all of this as a Grand Slam champion because of, like, the gradual rise I’ve had in this sport when it came to the amount of attention I was getting.

“Honestly, this week hasn’t been much different, other than people saying I’m the defending champion, but other than that, I feel like it’s been the same amount of attention and same amount of sponsor commitments and all that.”

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