This is pretty much all anyone needs to know about defending champion Coco Gauffs 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 loss to Emma Navarro in the U.S. Opens fourth round : Gauff wound up with more double-faults, 19, than winners, 14.
It was the latest in a series of early-for-her exits in recent weeks, including bowing out in the third round at the Paris Olympics, then going 1-2 at hard-court tuneup events before arriving in New York.
“I feel like theres 70 other players in the draw that would love to have the summer that I had, even though its (the) least, probably, (Ive) done well during this time of the year,” said the No. 3-seeded Gauff, who went 18-1 during the North American swing on hard courts 12 months ago, including the run to her first Grand Slam title. “So many people want to be in the fourth round. So many people want to make the Olympics. So many people want to be flag bearer. Its perspective.”
The 20-year-old from Florida did fight her way back into the match with a four-game run in which she claimed 14 of 17 points and grabbed the second set. “Had a little bit of a lull there,” said the 13th-seeded Navarro, an American who was 0-2 at the U.S. Open until this year, “but I was able to regroup.”
After each of her past two contests in New York, Gauff headed back out onto the practice courts to work on her serve. That didnt help much on Sunday, when she tied her career high for double-faults: She also had 19 in a loss at the 2020 French Open. Against Navarro, Gauff delivered a trio of double-faults in four different games. Eleven of the double-faults came in the final set alone.
Gauff attributed her problems to a mix of issues with her mechanics - “I go down on my left side a lot on my serve, and its something Im aware of, but its tough in the moment to, I guess, try not to do it,” she explained - and in her mind.
“Its sometimes more of an emotional, mental thing, because if I go out on the practice court right now, I would make, like, 30 serves in a row. Ive done it before,” Gauff said. “I think its also just kind of a mental hurdle that I have to get over when it comes. ... But I definitely want to look at other things, because I dont want to lose matches like this anymore.”
She finished with a total of 60 unforced errors - a whopping 29 on her forehand side.
The 23-year-old Navarro, who also eliminated Gauff in the fourth round at Wimbledon in July, was far steadier on Sunday, although she still did have 35 unforced errors. “It was a little bit of a battle of will there for a bit. But proud of just my effort today,” said Navarro, a U.S. Teammate of Gauffs at the Paris Games. “I was able to stick in there through some tough moments.”
This result follows a third-round loss by defending mens champion Novak Djokovic on Friday, meaning the lengthy droughts without anyone winning consecutive titles in New York will continue. The last woman to win at least two in a row was Serena Williams with three from 2012-14; the last man to do so was Roger Federer with five from 2004-08.
Frances Tiafoe eliminated No. 28 seed Alexei Popyrin, the player who stunned Djokovic, with a 6-4, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-3 victory on Sunday night. The No. 20 seed advanced to his third straight U.S. Open quarterfinal and will play No. 9 Grigor Dimitrov, who held off Andrey Rublev 6-3, 7-6 (3), 1-6, 3-6, 6-3 with 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams watching and offering a thumbs-up at matchs end.
Also moving on Sunday was No. 12 Taylor Fritz, who beat three-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Fritzs quarterfinal opponent will be 2020 U.S. Open runner-up Alexander Zverev, who got past Brandon Nakashima 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
“Im at the point now where Im still happy to make quarterfinals, but I wouldnt be happy with it ending here,” said Fritz, who has yet to reach a Grand Slam semifinal. “I definitely am at the point where I really want more than that.”
