The US Open title defense of Coco Gauff came to a shocking close as the third seed lost in the fourth round to compatriot Emma Navarro. Eventually, 13th seed Navarro recorded a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over the third-seeded Coco. Following a resilient display in the second set, Coco’s game was marred by 19 double faults and 60 unforced errors, including 11 double faults in the deciding set, thus sealing her defeat at the hands of Navarro.
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New York Witnesses Continued Rise Of Navarro
The New Yorker Navarro was over the moon for having made it into her first US Open quarter-finals after losses in the first round for the past two years. After the match, she reflected, “This is the city I was born in, and it feels so special to be playing here.” Two months on from winning against the same player in the last 16 at Wimbledon, victory over Gauff kept her hopes of a first major alive.
Gauff’s Struggles on Serve Prove Costly
However, trouble with her serve, especially in the third set where she served a hat-trick of double faults in one game, gave Navarro the break needed. Though Gauff fought well back in the second set, breaking Navarro’s serve twice, unforced errors and inconsistency allowed the latter to take fullest advantage of her chances and advance to the quarterfinals.
History Created by Navarro
The victory makes Navarro the youngest American woman to make the quarterfinals at both Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year since Serena Williams in 2004. She first praised Gauff: “Coco is an amazing player. I know she’s going to come back here and win this thing again.” The victory means Navarro will break into the world’s top 10-the culmination of a rapid rise on the WTA Tour.
Gauff Reflects on Loss
She was the first to point out that she has struggled with her serve. “I fought really hard today. I just didn’t take care of my serve, so that was the biggest difference.” She felt she simply didn’t execute where she wanted to-serve in particular-despite her best effort mentally and emotionally. “I think if I would have did that, it would have been a different story for me in the match,” she concluded.
Navarro’s Growing Success on Tour
Navarro’s defeat of Gauff sealed another milestone in her blossoming career. A first-time WTA Tour semi-finalist in 2023, she won her maiden title in Hobart this year and has taken some notable scalps since then, including that of world number two Aryna Sabalenka. She has now reached back-to-back Grand Slam quarterfinals, having made the same stage at Wimbledon in July.
A Remarkable Two-Year Journey
The rise of Navarro has been something beyond what she had even expected, first making sure of a two-year professional tennis commitment after college. As she now sees things, “I definitely have surpassed my expectations for sure.” It’s performances like hers in the last year that have likely cemented her status as one of the sport’s rising stars.
