Coco Gauff, the reigning US Open champion, ousted by Emma Navarro in Round of 16
NEW YORK — Coco Gauff’s title as US Open champion has come to an end.
The 20-year-old who made headlines with her first Grand Slam win last year exited the tournament on Sunday, losing in the fourth round to fellow American Emma Navarro, the No. 13 seed, with a score of 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
This marks the second straight Grand Slam where Navarro, an ex-NCAA champion from Virginia, has knocked Gauff out in the Round of 16.
Initially, the match seemed reminiscent of their previous encounter at Wimbledon, where Navarro won 6-4, 6-3 with relative ease.
However, this match took an unexpected turn. After falling behind in the second set, Gauff rallied, winning the last three games to clinch the set, much to the excitement of the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Despite her comeback in the second set, Gauff lost momentum, suffering a service break at 1-1 due to consecutive double faults.
Gauff’s serving was a major issue throughout the match; she recorded 19 double faults and only managed to land 47% of her first serves.
Sunday’s defeat caps off a frustrating summer for Gauff, who faced early exits at the Olympics and in two major hard court tournaments in Canada and Cincinnati leading up to the US Open.
Her lack of confidence was apparent against Navarro, who utilized strong defense and consistency from the baseline, making it hard for Gauff to secure points. She ended the match with just 14 winners and an alarming 60 unforced errors.
Navarro will go on to compete against No. 26 seed and former world No. 2 Paula Badosa from Spain in the quarterfinals.