Coco Gauff won her first round match at the 2026 US Open against Zeynep Sonmez 6-3, 6-4 on September 1, 2026, at Arthur Ashe Stadium under its closed roof during a rainy Tuesday night in New York [1, 2, 3]. Gauff, ranked world number 4 and 22 years old, faced Sonmez, ranked 53 or 54, who is 24 years old [1, 2, 3, 4]. Gauff saved three break points at 2-3 in the second set before regaining control to close out the match, saying, "I knew if I could hold that game, I felt confident breaking the next game" [1, 2, 3]. She also noted, "I wasn't that nervous today, which was a shock. When I walked back out on this court, I was trying to hold back a smile" [1].
On September 3, Gauff advanced to the third round by beating Paula Badosa 6-4, 7-6(5) in a second round match played on a hot, sweltering evening that contrasted with the earlier rain [5, 4]. Badosa, ranked 87, holds a positive head-to-head against Gauff with wins in their last two meetings, making this a notable victory for Gauff [5, 4]. Gauff said of her opponent, "Paula is a tough player. I feel like I had the lead but there wasn't too much I did wrong. She stepped it up. I'm really happy to be through today" [5].
Gauff is pursuing her second US Open title and her third Grand Slam overall [1, 5, 3, 4]. She will face Cristina Bucsa in the third round [5, 4].
