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Coco Gauff defeated former world No. 2 Paula Badosa 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) to reach the US Open third round.
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The American fourth seed was pushed hard by Badosa but held her nerve to win in straight sets.
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Gauff will face Spain’s Cristina Bucsa in the next round.
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The victory keeps alive Gauff’s hopes of winning a second US Open title.
September 04, (THEWILL) — Coco Gauff survived one of her toughest early tests at the 2026 US Open as the American fourth seed defeated former world No. 2 Paula Badosa in straight sets to reach the third round.
Gauff prevailed 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) on Arthur Ashe Stadium after a closely contested encounter that repeatedly threatened to swing in Badosa’s favour.
The victory continues Gauff’s strong record at her home Grand Slam, with the 22-year-old reaching the third round in New York for the fifth consecutive time.
She will now face Spain’s Cristina Bucsa for a place in the fourth round.
Badosa Pushes Gauff
Despite entering the match ranked 87th in the world, Badosa was never expected to be an easy opponent.
The Spaniard had won their previous two meetings, including their encounter at the Australian Open and another clash during the grass-court season in Berlin.
Badosa immediately showed why she had been a difficult opponent for Gauff, forcing the American to save two break points early in the opening set.
Gauff eventually found the breakthrough, taking advantage of a costly forehand error from Badosa to secure the decisive break.
The American protected her advantage and closed out the first set 6-4.
The second set was even more competitive, with both players exchanging breaks twice as Badosa increased the pressure.
Neither player could establish control, forcing the set into a tie-break.
Gauff eventually edged ahead and sealed the match when Badosa sent her final shot long, sparking a huge celebration from the home crowd.
Solid set of tennis from Gauff 👏👏👏@CocoGauff takes the first set over Badosa 6-4.#USOpen pic.twitter.com/C8wzAKm6CK
— wta (@WTA) September 4, 2026
Gauff Admits There Were Nerves
The victory was not without its difficulties, with Gauff admitting afterwards that she felt nervous during the contest.
“Paula is a tough player,” Gauff said.
“I think I need matches like this to build my confidence. I’m happy with how I managed today. There was a bit of nerves.”
Gauff also acknowledged the quality of the opponent waiting for her in the second round, having seen Badosa’s name in the draw.
“Definitely not someone you want to play in the 2nd round,” she said.
“Former number two in the world. Great competitor.”
For Gauff, however, getting through the match may prove as important as the manner of the victory.
Having been pushed into a deciding tie-break rather than allowed to cruise through another early-round encounter, she was forced to find solutions under pressure — exactly the kind of experience that can become valuable later in a Grand Slam.
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Bucsa Awaits in Round Three
Gauff’s next challenge will come against fellow Spaniard Cristina Bucsa.
The American now has an opportunity to build on her Cincinnati Open triumph and continue her pursuit of another Grand Slam crown.
Gauff won the US Open in 2023, becoming the youngest American to win the women’s singles title at the tournament since Serena Williams.
Three years later, she is once again among the leading contenders in New York.
But after being pushed hard by Badosa, Gauff knows the road to another title will demand more than simply relying on her ranking.
She survived her first major test.
Now the challenge is to turn that escape into momentum.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
