Coco Gauff Outlines Key Area For Improvement Ahead Of US Open Title Defence

The defending champion fell 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, to Yulia Putintseva who also beat Iga Swaitek at Wimbledon earlier this year. Gauff was leading 4-2 in the final set before losing four games in a row. She produced a total of 50 unforced errors, including nine double faults, and has now lost five matches in a row against top 50 players on the Tour. Her last win was against Ons Jabeur at the Berlin Open.

“I made a lot of errors, especially when I was up 4-2. I think I’m most of the points I think were off errors that she won.” The American said of her latest performance.

“She’s (Putintseva) always a tricky opponent to play. She mixes up the ball. She has drop shots, slice. She’s kind of someone that makes you earn the match.”

Gauff’s mixed form comes less than two weeks before the US Open where she will be bidding to become the first woman to defend her title at the Grand Slam since Serena Williams in 2014. She has won one trophy so far this season which was in January at the ASB Classic in New Zealand. That was also the last time she has played in a Tour final.

“I feel like I have to work on my consistency. Overall, I’m making a lot of unforced errors.” Gauff replied when asked what area of her game she needs to improve.

“So I think that’s really the main area where I have to work on.”

The 20-year-old plans to go back to her home and ‘reset’ ahead of the US Open which begins on August 26th. Her win-loss record for 2024 currently stands at 38-14

Meanwhile, Putintseva will play Spain’s Paula Badosa in the third round on Friday. Should she win, the Kazakh will be through to the quarter-finals of a WTA 1000 event for only the fifth time in her career at the age of 29.