Gauff Advances US Open Third Round Despite Serving Struggles

Coco Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, advanced to the third round of the 2025 US Open after an emotional and challenging victory over Donna Vekic, marked by significant serving struggles and tears on court. Despite seven double faults and being broken four times in the first set, Gauff demonstrated resilience by regrouping to win 7-6(5), 6-2, crediting her mental toughness and the support of the home crowd. She has recently changed coaches to Gavin MacMillan in an effort to rebuild her serve, a process that has caused difficulties but also improvement during the tournament. Gauff acknowledged the pressure and nerves affecting her performance, emphasizing the human side of athletes and the importance of recovering from tough moments. Vekic, a strong competitor coming off an Olympic silver medal and Wimbledon success, pushed Gauff to earn every point, making the match a significant test. Gauff will next face Magdalena Frech, continuing her title defense amid a season-long serving challenge that she is actively working to overcome.