Coco Gauff advances to Australian Open second round despite struggling with serve
MELBOURNE, Australia — Third-seeded Coco Gauff had some familiar struggles on serve but still had enough class and power to beat Kamila Rashimova 6-2, 6-3 on Monday.
Gauff has won two Grand Slam titles but has never reached the semi-finals at Melbourne Park. Last year she was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
The American has struggled with double faults, committing 431 on the WTA Tour in 2025, the most by any player to date. No one else scored more than 300. Gauff had six in the first set against Rashimova and only one in the second.
Gauff, 21, has spent the past few months retooling her serve and getting in more practice during a break from her match against Rahimova on Rod Laver Arena.
Gauff will face southpaw Olga Danilovich in the second round. Danilovic defeated 45-year-old Venus Williams in the first round on Sunday, eliminating the possibility of a showdown between the two Americans.
“There aren’t a lot of (left-handed players) on the tour, but Olga is a great player and she’s beaten some of the top players, so it’s going to be a tough match,” Goff said.
Fourth-ranked Amanda Anisimova, runner-up at the past two Grand Slams, advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Simona Waltert. No. 6 Jessica Pegula defeated Anastasia Zakharova 6-2, 6-1, and No. 14 Clara Towson beat Dalma Galfi 6-3, 6-3.
Sofia Kenin had a poor showing at the Australian Open recently, losing 6-3, 6-2 to fellow American Peyton Stearns.
Kenin was a surprise winner here in 2020 but has struggled at Melbourne Park since, losing in the first round for the fifth time in a row.
No. 15 player Emma Navarro lost to Poland’s Magda Linert in three sets.
Auger-Aliassime retires due to injury
On the men’s side, seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime withdrew from his match against Portugal’s Nuno Borges. Just over two hours later, the 25-year-old Borges walked to the net to shake hands and lead 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
“I was fine, but I started cramping at the beginning of the third set,” the Canadian said. “Yes, it becomes very difficult to be competitive at this level. I tried one set, but today it was impossible.
“I don’t remember ever (cramping) in my life this early in a game, so early in a game.”
In other men’s first-round matches, three-time Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev defeated Jesper de Jong 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (2) to continue his streak of Australian titles, including one in Brisbane. No. 19 seed Tommy Paul defeated Alexander Kovacevic 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in an All-American match to join Riley Opelka and No. 13 Andrei Rublev.
Local hopeful Alex de Minaur, seeded sixth, defeated Mackenzie McDonald – a lucky qualifier loser who replaced injured former Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini – 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in the afternoon match at Rod Laver Arena.
