Defending champion Coco Gauff loses to Emma Navarro and exits the US Open.
**NEW YORK** — Defending champion Coco Gauff’s 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 loss to Emma Navarro in the fourth round of the US Open on Sunday highlighted a challenging performance: Gauff ended the match with 19 double-faults, more than the 14 winners she managed.
This defeat adds to a series of early exits for Gauff, who also fell in the third round of the Paris Olympics and had a 1-2 record in hard-court tuneup events before the US Open.
Despite the setback, Gauff maintained perspective, saying, "I feel like there are 70 other players who would love to have the summer I had, even though it's probably the least I've performed well during this time of the year." Reflecting on her previous success, including an 18-1 record during last year’s North American hard-court swing, Gauff acknowledged the competitive nature of the sport. "So many people want to be in the fourth round, make the Olympics, or be a flag bearer. It's all about perspective."
The 20-year-old Floridian made a strong comeback with a four-game streak to win the second set, but ultimately couldn’t sustain the momentum. Navarro, the 13th seed who had previously been 0-2 at the US Open, admitted to having a "little bit of a lull" but managed to regroup effectively.
Gauff had focused on her serve in practice between matches, but it didn’t show much improvement on Sunday, as she tied her career high for double-faults, a mark she previously set at the 2020 French Open. She struggled with her serve mechanics and mental game, noting, "It's sometimes more of an emotional, mental thing. I think it's just kind of a mental hurdle I have to overcome."
Navarro, who had also beaten Gauff in the fourth round at Wimbledon in July, played more consistently despite recording 35 unforced errors. She will face No. 26 Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals after Badosa’s dominant 6-1, 6-2 win over Wang Yafan. The other quarterfinal match will feature No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, last year’s runner-up, against either No. 7 Qinwen Zheng or No. 24 Donna Vekic.
This result continues a trend of defending champions not securing back-to-back titles in New York. Serena Williams last achieved this feat with three consecutive wins from 2012 to 2014, while Roger Federer won five straight from 2004 to 2008.
Navarro, who won the 2021 NCAA singles championship with the University of Virginia, will return to Arthur Ashe Stadium for her second major quarterfinal appearance. Despite having never played there before, she felt surprisingly comfortable on the big stage. "I didn't feel overwhelmed and nervous like I expected," Navarro said.
Gauff, on the other hand, expressed her disappointment but remains hopeful: "I expect better, but at the end of the day, it happened. I know I can turn it around."
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