Coco Gauff tries out a new approach to life and fights her way back into form at the US Open | US Open Tennis 2024

A year after the unforgettable sight of her first Grand Slam title after years of overwhelming expectations, Coco Gauff returned to the US Open with a dominant first-round win, easily defeating Varvara Gracheva of France 6-2, 6-0.

It was a much-needed win for Gauff after a difficult period. Despite being one of the favourites at the Olympics on her best surface, the 20-year-old suffered a weak third-round loss on the clay court of Roland Garros in Paris and then took a one-two between Toronto and Cincinnati.

As is usually the case when her form drops, Gauff struggled with her forehand and second serve. The third seed had a tough time returning to Arthur Ashe Stadium and the first set result was deceptive. The American suffered break points in each of her first three service games and fended off six in total, but served well on the crucial points and stood firm when it mattered most. After closing out the set, Gauff relaxed and entered the second round with nine straight wins.

Gauff said: “Someone commented on my Tiktok and said, 'You've won in life, literally and figuratively, and there's no point in putting pressure on yourself on a victory lap.' That's just how I treat this tournament.”

“When you defend something, it means you have won something. If you have done it, you can do it again. Whether I do it again this year or not, [at some point] I will do it again.”

Gauff will look to build on her first win when she faces Germany's Tatjana Maria in the second round. Maria, a 37-year-old former Wimbledon semifinalist armed with a devilish backhand slice and an all-court game, reached the second round with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Solana Sierra, an Argentine qualifier.

Just weeks after becoming the first Chinese player to win an Olympic gold medal in tennis singles, seventh-seeded Zheng Qinwen overcame an extremely difficult first-round match. After trailing by a set against the impressive Amanda Anisimova, Zheng recovered to reach the second round with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory.

“This is the typical game I lose, especially after a big win. I know that after a big win, I usually aim a little too high until reality catches up with me and I come back down to earth and try to be humble and work hard,” Zheng said. “So if I succeed this time, I tell myself that I don't want to let that happen. I will keep working hard and keep a stable attitude.”

On the men's side, Dominic Thiem's ​​Grand Slam career ended at Ashe when he lost 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 to 13th-seeded American Ben Shelton in the first round. Thiem announced this year that he would retire from professional tennis at the end of the season.

At the peak of his career, the Austrian had positioned himself as one of the top contenders for Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. He won his only Grand Slam title at the 2020 US Open in an empty stadium under strict Covid-19 protocols.

Just as Thiem was approaching what seemed like his prime, he suffered a serious wrist injury in 2021 that derailed his career and from which he was never able to fully recover. Afterward, the 30-year-old said he was happy about his impending retirement.

“I've had enough to struggle with in recent years, especially because I haven't been able to get back to my level, but since I made the decision in March this year, I've been happy about it from that moment on,” said Thiem.

“Of course, I've been able to prepare for this new chapter that's coming soon. Honestly, I've always loved playing on tour and I've been very patient, but I've also always really enjoyed being home and living a normal life as much as possible. And that's why I'm always really looking forward to normal life coming now.”

Despite a brave comeback from two sets down on his US Open main draw debut, Britain's Jan Choinski fell to Roberto Carballés Baena 6-2, 6-3, 5-7, 6-7 (5), 6-3. Choinski had reached the main draw after winning three tough matches in the qualifying rounds. Although he competed at Wimbledon, this was the first time he had reached the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament through performance.