Coco Gauff was overcome with emotion on Arthur Ashe Stadium, wiping away tears during her second-round clash at the 2025 US Open before regaining her composure to defeat Donna Vekić 7-6 (5), 6-2 on Thursday night. Despite ongoing serving woes that left her visibly frustrated, the American fan favorite fought her way through a difficult opening set to keep her title hopes alive in New York.
What Triggered Coco Gauff’s Emotional Outburst Against Donna Vekić?
Gauff entered the season’s final Major already under the spotlight for her service struggles. Just two nights earlier, she had opened her campaign with a shaky performance against Ajla Tomljanovic that featured 59 unforced errors and 10 double faults.
That tension boiled over in the ninth game of the first set against Vekić. After double-faulting and losing serve at 4-4, Gauff covered her face with a towel during the changeover as she tried to contain a flood of tears. Her struggles continued, as she piled up seven double faults and dropped four of her six service games in the opening set.
Coco Gauff in tears after getting broken at 4-4 in the 1st set against Donna Vekic at the U.S. Open.
Tough scenes…
pic.twitter.com/s79HEqiSV0
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 29, 2025
She fell behind 5-4, then again 6-5, before clawing back each time and steadying herself in the tiebreak. After that, she rolled through the second set with more confidence, feeding off the crowd’s energy. Choking back tears again in her post-match interview, Gauff thanked the fans for carrying her through the tense moments.
“Today was a tough match for me, but I’m just happy with how I was able to manage. It’s been a rough couple weeks, but I’m happy to be back on this court, and you guys bring me so much joy. You really help me a lot. I’m doing this for myself, but I’m also doing it for you. And no matter how tough it gets, you can do it,” Gauff said.
“I’ve had some tough moments on this court, and you guys pull me through each time, so I really do appreciate it. That first set was tough for me, but you stayed cheering for me, so I thank you guys.”
Can Gauff Fix Her Biggest Weakness in Time?
Days before the US Open, Gauff teamed up with biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan. He is the same specialist who helped current World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka turn her serve into a weapon in 2022.
The World No. 3 currently leads the tour in double faults with 320 this season, which is more than 100 ahead of her nearest rival and an average of nearly seven per match.
Earlier this summer, Gauff committed 23 double faults in a single three-set win over Danielle Collins in Montreal and followed it with 14 in her next match. She also recorded 16 in a Cincinnati quarterfinal loss to Jasmine Paolini.
Looking ahead, Gauff will take on 28th seed Magdalena Fręch in the fourth round. This will be their third meeting on the WTA Tour, with the American holding a dominant 2-0 head-to-head lead. The winner of this match will face either 15th seed Daria Kasatkina or 23rd seed Naomi Osaka in the Round of 16.
