Coco Gauff extends Grand Slam streak, defeats Anna Karolina Schmiedlova at Australian Open

Coco Gauff didn’t merely give Serena Williams vibes with her on-court attire; her problem-solving was also reminiscent of the 23-time Grand Slam champion as the reigning US Open champion figured out a tricky opening round to advance at the Australian Open.

"I was a little nervous in the first set," she admitted on court after the match. "I think I did well returning, and then I found my serve towards the end of the second set. This is my third time playing her and she's a tough player to play, but I'm happy with how I was able to manage my emotions today.

"When I was nervous, I told myself I feel good, I look good, so just have fun. That was able to relax me a little. I play tennis to have fun!"

Gauff won an eighth straight Grand Slam main draw match, winning the final eight games to defeat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, 6-3, 6-0 in exactly one hour on Rod Laver Arena.

The 19-year-old’s bright yellow New Balance kit turned heads before she even took the court on Monday, but it was up to Gauff, who arrived to the Australian Open undefeated after kicking off 2024 by defending her ASB Classic title in Auckland, to prove she was as much substance as style against Schmiedlova, a former world No. 26.

Gauff has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of women's tennis in the last six months: since partnering with coach Brad Gilbert after an opening-round loss at Wimbledon last summer, she collected some of the biggest titles on tour, including victories in Washington, D.C. and Cincinnati before capturing her first Grand Slam title at the US Open.

She continued to make improvements over the off-season, getting visibly stronger and working on her serve with none other than former world No. 1 Andy Roddick.

Seeded fourth in Melbourne, Gauff, who spent Day 1 roasting the USTA's Nickeloden-inspired hype graphic on social media, edged ahead by an early break and weathered some shaky moments on serve as Schmiedlova broke back three times in the opening set.

Gauff replied strong on return each time, and nabbed a second service hold when she needed it most, sealing the set at love with a forced forehand error from the Slovak.

"I think I'm always nervous in the first rounds of Slams! Honestly, it gave me more confidence today. My first round at the US Open was a tough one, so I knew could get through those tough moments. I think that's when I was able to buckle down and take off from there."

The American began the second set in identical fashion to the first, but played the front runner to perfection as she engineered a triple-break advantage and won a seventh straight game to put the finish line in sight. Up two match points, she clinched victory with a searing backhand into the open court to surge into the second round.

Sharing the bottom half of the women’s draw with defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, Gauff finds herself in a section with a slew of North American talents, including next opponent Caroline Dolehide, who finished runner-up in her first WTA 1000 final in Gaudalajara last fall. Former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez is projected to be Gauff’s first seeded opponent, and the second week could see the teenager on a collision course with a resurgent Naomi Osaka, who plays No. 16 seed Caroline Garcia Monday night.