US Open: Coco Gauff overcomes service struggles for dramatic 1st-round win over Ajla Tomljanović in first match since coaching change

Mike Stobe via Getty Images

Coco Gauff's service game wasn't perfect.

But it was good enough on Tuesday in a 6-4, 6-7 (7-2), 7-5 win over Australia's Ajla Tomljanović in the first round of the US Open, staving off a would-be stunning upset.

The match was the first for Gauff since she dismissed grip specialist Matt Daly from her coaching staff and replaced him with renowned biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan last week to work on her serve, just days before the start of the US Open.

Gauff overcame a shaky start to win the first set and took control of the second with a 4-2 lead. But Tomljanović rallied from the deficit to force and win a tiebreak, setting up a winner-take-all third set. 

There, neither player won a service game until Gauff held serve to take a 3-1 lead. Gauff then had a chance to win the match on her serve while holding a 5-4 lead. But she surrendered another break to ramp up the tension with the match tied at 5-5. 

But Gauff broke Tomljanović once again. Given a second chance to win on her serve, Gauff finished the job. She took a 40-30 lead in the final game and secured the win on her first match point.

Gauff advances to the second round, where she'll face Croatia's Donna Vekić.

Gauff brings new serve to US Open

Gauff made the coaching change after struggling with her serve during a mid-season slump since winning the French Open in June. Gauff had since gone 4-4 and suffered two first-round losses, including at Wimbledon. Gauff's service game has frequently been at the heart of her struggles as she's led tour players with 750 double faults over the course of the last two seasons, per ESPN.

MacMillan previously helped Aryna Sabalenka with her own service struggles as she vaulted to the No. 1 ranking in the world. Gauff, ranked No. 3, is hoping that MacMillan can have a similar effect on her game.

Gauff overcomes early service struggles

Gauff's service struggles were on display early Tuesday on a night that was surely packed with nerves under the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, where she won her first career Grand Slam in 2023. The match was Gauff's first since making the coaching switch.

Gauff double faulted on her first service game as Tomljanović scored an early break to take a 1-0 lead. Gauff committed three double faults before Tomljanović's first and appeared to be tentative early on her first serves.

Gauff secured her first break to get back on serve at 3-3. She recovered from a double fault on her next service game to take a 4-3 lead. She then broke Tomljanović again to secure a 6-4 win in the first set.

Gauff broke Tomljanović again to take a 2-0 lead in the second set and appeared en route to a two-set victory after taking a 4-2 advantage. But Tomljanović responded with two unanswered breaks to take a 5-4 lead to serve for the set. 

Gauff battled back to break Tomljanović again, this time from double set point to win the game and ultimately set up a tie break. But Tomljanović controlled the tiebreak from the start with a 3-0 lead en route to a 7-2 win to force the third set. 

Gauff took the early advantage in the third set with another break of Tomljanović's service game. The two traded two more breaks from there before Gauff took a 4-2 lead on her own serve, setting up the dramatic finish.