For the second time this summer, Coco Gauff was defeated by her compatriot Emma Navarro in three see-saw sets. The first time was at the Round of 16 at Wimbledon. Today’s loss is more deflating because Coco Gauff was attempting to defend her US Open title.
Coco Gauff’s Miscues
Serving was an issue for Gauff. Three consecutive double faults in the decisive third set and a double fault on match point gave Emma Navarro, who looked sharp, free points. Then, there were the 60 unforced errors.
Emma Navarro Is Into The Second Week For The First Time
Emma Navarro was born in New York. She made it her mission to have a good tournament after losing in the first round the past two years.
What Gauff’s Loss Means
It is par for the course for a difficult season. Gauff won just one WTA Title this year at the ASB Classic in January. It provides an opening for Navarro, who is on a roll, and World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who is in Gauff’s section of the draw.
Coco Gauff’s Shaken Confidence
Gauff had the terrific “Summer of Coco” in 2023 when she was practically unstoppable during the US hardcourt series. She topped it off with the US Open win. Last year, she played with momentum and confidence.
Emma Navarro’s Next Match
Navarro faces Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals. Badosa is playing with a similar momentum and confidence this summer that Gauff had last year.
Women’s Tennis Is Unpredictable
Women’s tennis has hit the unpredictable stage. Due to the long season, injuries, retirements, and other issues, it is hard to predict a winner at the US Open or any tournament for the rest of the year. Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka would be the perceived favorites.
Along with Chris Evert, World No. 1 Iga Swiatek has called for the WTA to review the 11-month tennis season to figure out ways to make it more efficient for the players.
Swiatek has argued that players need rest and time away from tournaments to practice new skills during the year.
Does An Olympian Win The US Open?
The bottom line is that the post-Olympics tennis season has not been kind to the Olympians. There are some exceptions. Jessica Pegula would be the most noteworthy. However, she was injured and missed a big chunk of the tennis season before the Olympics.
The singles medalists remain in the draw, but for how long? Gold medalist Qinwen Zheng plays silver medalist Donna Vekic in Round 16. Bronze medalist Iga Swiatek plays Liudmila Samsonova in her fourth-round match. Emma Navarro and Pegula are the remaining US Olympians in the draw.
Non-Olympians Have Momentum
Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka skipped the Olympics to focus on the hardcourt season. If a non-Olympian wins the US Open, there will be plenty of discussion about the difficult season.
It involved two major events on clay (the French Open and Olympics) separated by a grass Grand Slam. The Olympics led right into the US Open.
Tennis does not stop the season for the Olympics. Players do not get ranking points for playing in the Olympics. They are penalized in the sense that they do not defend ranking points from last year’s hardcourt US Open series because they are representing their countries.
Coco Gauff Can End The Season Strong
The WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia end the season. The top eight players in the world compete in round-robin and section play. Iga Swiatek defeated Jessica Pegula to win the event last year.
The best remedy for Coco Gauff’s so-so season is to win the WTA Finals. She is a hard worker who is not afraid to go back to the drawing board to improve. She should not be counted out.
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