Coco Gauff secures impressive comeback over Elina Svitolina to continue US Open title defense

NEW YORK—Coco Gauff encountered the first big test of her US Open title defense and passed with flying colors, rallying from a set down to overcome Elina Svitolina, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

The No. 3 seed increased her Flushing Meadows win streak to 10 in a row, but not without a fight from Svitolina, a former world No. 3 and No. 27 seed, ultimately winning in two hours and three minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Gauff arrived in New York out of sorts but optimistic after suffering early exits at Wimbledon, the Summer Olympic Games, and the Cincinnati Open, where she was the defending champion.

“The main focus was trying to be as ready as possible for here, which I feel like it was a blessing in disguise I lost so early, because I was able to actually train, which I hadn't been able to,” the 20-year-old said in her Media Day press conference. “I do my best results when I come off a training block.”

That appeared to be the case for the American through her first two matches, which she won without losing a set. Svitolina would nonetheless prove a dramatic step up in challenge, the Ukrainian a three-time Grand Slam semifinalist—including the US Open in 2019.

Svitolina rocketed back up the rankings after missing most of the 2022 season to welcome daughter Skaï with husband and fellow player Gaël Monfils, reaching the quarter- and semifinals of last year’s Roland Garros and Wimbledon Championships.

Slowed somewhat by a back injury in 2024, the 29-year-old showed flashes of her top form throughout the year, including the Internazionali BNL d’Italia where she pushed world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka to a third-set tiebreaker.

Gauff and Svitolina were tied in their head-to-head with one win apiece, Gauff winning their most recent encounter on hard courts at the ASB Classic in January.

Still, it was Svitolina who emerged with the early initiative, pressuring Gauff’s weaker forehand side and navigating a pair of long games to break at love and sevre out the opening set.

Svitolina threatened to break early in the second set, forcing Gauff to dig deep. She saved break point in the fifth game and turned the tables after a change of ends, gliding a forehand into the open court to earn her first lead in the match.

With cheers of “Let’s go, Coco!” emanating through the stadium, Gauff served her way to three set points, leveling the clash with an ace.

Gauff carried that momentum into the decider, breaking to open and winning the best point of the match en route to consolidating a 2-0 lead. Svitolina narrowly avoided a double-break deficit at first, but handed it over two games later, looking low on energy as she struck her 30th unforced error of the match.

Svitolina served to stay in the match, and made a brave last stand as Gauff double faulted on her first two match points, striking a backhand winner on the third. Gauff shook off a break point with a winner of her own, but Svitolina kept pressing to nab one of the breaks back.

Gauff was right back in it in the next game, earning three more match points on Svitolina serve, only needing one when Svitolina netted a forehand just after the two-hour mark.

Up next for Gauff will be the winner of another intriguing third-round clash between No. 13 seed Emma Navarro, who defeated her at Wimbledon, or No. 19 seed Marta Kostyuk, who pushed her to three sets at the Australian Open and got the better of her a few months later on clay at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.