NEW YORK — Coco Gauff continues to look like one of the players to beat at the 2026 US Open.
The fourth-seeded American advanced to the Round of 16 on Saturday after defeating Spain’s Cristina Bucsa, 6-3, 6-4, at Arthur Ashe Stadium, maintaining her pursuit of a second US Open championship.
The victory was Gauff’s third consecutive straight-set win at this year’s tournament and extended her run to the fourth round for the fifth straight year, according to The Guardian.
But the scoreline doesn’t tell the entire story.
Gauff forced to fight back after shaky start
Bucsa, ranked No. 40 in the world, immediately showed that she was not going to simply allow Gauff to dictate the match.
Gauff struggled with her serve early, including a double fault that helped Bucsa break and move ahead 3-1. The American also committed three more double faults during a difficult service game at 3-3.
Instead of allowing the early setback to derail her, Gauff gradually regained control.
She broke back, tightened her game and eventually took the opening set 6-3.
The second set was another test of her patience. Gauff managed to find the crucial breaks and eventually moved within one game of victory at 5-4.
This time, she closed the door.
Gauff held serve at love to seal the match in straight sets.
“She’s a tricky player,” Gauff said after the match, adding that she was pleased with how she got through the contest despite not playing her best tennis.
The serve remains a major storyline
One of the biggest developments surrounding Gauff heading into this year’s tournament has been the transformation of her serve.
The 22-year-old entered the US Open after winning the Cincinnati title and had shown significant improvement in an area that caused her problems during last year’s tournament.
The official US Open site reported that Gauff made technical adjustments to her serve during the past year, including changes to her ball toss and wrist movement. Those changes have helped give her greater confidence under pressure.
That improvement was particularly noticeable during her first two matches.
Gauff defeated Zeynep Sonmez 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round before beating Paula Badosa 6-4, 7-6(5) in the second round.
Against Bucsa, however, the serve was less consistent early.
That makes her ability to win despite not producing her cleanest performance particularly significant.
Gauff remains one of America’s biggest hopes
Gauff’s progression came on a difficult day for American tennis.
Taylor Fritz, Madison Keys and Amanda Anisimova all suffered defeats, leaving Gauff as the major American singles player still standing in the women’s draw. Reuters described her victory as the bright spot on a disappointing day for the host nation.
Fritz’s loss was particularly dramatic. The American led Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo by two sets before eventually falling in five, while Keys surrendered a 5-0 advantage in the deciding set against China’s Zheng Qinwen.
Gauff, meanwhile, kept moving.
And that’s becoming a familiar sight in New York.
Now comes the intriguing part
Gauff’s next opponent will be determined by the match between No. 17 seed Alexandra Eala and American Iva Jovic.
That potential matchup could add another layer to Gauff’s US Open story.
Eala, the rising Filipino star, has already established herself as one of the most intriguing young players on the women’s tour. Gauff and Eala are 1-1 head-to-head, with both meetings coming on hard courts this year, according to the official US Open site. Gauff has also beaten Jovic once, in a three-set match in Rome.
So while Gauff has taken another step toward a second US Open crown, the road is about to get considerably more interesting.
For now, the American star has done exactly what a Grand Slam contender needs to do: win, survive the difficult moments and keep moving forward.
The bigger question is whether that formula will be enough when the competition gets even tougher in the second week.
And that’s where Gauff’s real US Open test may begin.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.S
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