Coco Gauff arrives at the 2026 US Open full of confidence after winning her second Cincinnati Open title. The 22-year-old American has turned her season around by fixing the serve problems that troubled her earlier in the year. The World No. 4 enters Flushing Meadows as one of the leading title contenders, with former champions Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters also backing her chances.
Coco Gauff Has Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters Buzzing Ahead of US Open As the Stats Back Them Up
Just over six months ago, Gauff’s serve was a major weakness, especially during the Dubai Tennis Championships in February. After a double fault, she became frustrated with her biomechanics coach, Gavin MacMillan, saying that six months of hard work had not produced results.
Gauff has also fallen short despite making several deep runs this year, including six semifinal appearances. She lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the Miami final and Elina Svitolina in the Rome final, while her Wimbledon run ended in the semifinals.
However, things have changed. At the Cincinnati Open, Gauff dropped just one set all week and hit only one double fault in the final, beating Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 in 74 minutes to win the title.
Former world No. 1s Clijsters and Roddick also took notice of Gauff’s turnaround. Speaking after Gauff’s Cincinnati win, Clijsters highlighted the American’s comments about trusting the process.
“Everything is just louder when you’re at the top of the game, and the expectations are higher. So, for her to go through it, for her to have the team around her that is able to make her stay grounded, put in the work, and trust the process… it’s a great life lesson, really,” the three-time US Open winner said on the “Love All” podcast.
Meanwhile, Roddick believes she looks better than she did at this stage last year.
“You know who’s more prepared for the US Open this year than she was last year? Who? Coco Gauff. ‘She looked good’ is an understatement. It’s the best I’ve seen her play in a couple of years, including her French Open win,” said the 2003 US Open winner in the newest episode of the “Served” podcast.
Roddick also pointed to Gauff’s performance against Pegula, especially her five break points converted from six chances and improved serving, as signs that she is finding her best form at the right time.
Gauff’s Cincinnati win has brought back memories of 2023, when she won the same title before going on to claim her first US Open Grand Slam three weeks later. After winning her first WTA title since Wuhan last October, the two-time major champion believes her Cincinnati run has restored her confidence ahead of New York.
“With each match, I was feeling more and more confident in trusting the work that I put in and the practice, knowing that I can figure out these matches,” Gauff said.
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She added that the quality wins in Cincinnati have given her the belief that she can handle tough moments in New York, even when she is not playing her best.
The US Open main draw begins on August 30 at Flushing Meadows, with the official draw ceremony set for Thursday, August 27, at 12 p.m. ET.
