In a stunning upset at the Cincinnati Open, defending champion Coco Gauff fell in the first round to Yulia Putintseva, with the match concluding 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Gauff, the American world No. 2, struggled to maintain her form and hit nine double faults during the match. This early exit comes as a surprise given her impressive performance last year.
Putintseva, ranked No. 34, showed remarkable resilience by turning the match around after trailing 2-4 in the final set. She managed to win four consecutive games to secure her first career victory over Gauff. Reflecting on her performance, Putintseva noted, “I think the level of the game was high, especially for those conditions. The courts are lightning fast, so I’m pretty happy to get through.” She described the match as a “roller coaster,” emphasizing the need for constant focus on such fast-paced surfaces.
With this win, Putintseva advances to the next round where she will face Paula Badosa of Spain. Meanwhile, Gauff, who recently competed in the Canadian Open and reached only the second round, will head into the US Open, starting August 26, with a need to regroup. As the reigning US Open champion, she is expected to defend her title after clinching her first Grand Slam last year on home soil.
The Cincinnati Open has also seen other notable results. Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 US Open runner-up, caused an upset by defeating fourth seed Elena Rybakina with a scoreline of 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4. Fernandez, who had previously lost in the 2021 US Open final to Emma Raducanu, has made significant progress over the past year and is currently ranked No. 26 in the world.
As the Cincinnati Open progresses, the focus now shifts to how the players will adapt their strategies leading up to the US Open. For Gauff, the loss at Cincinnati serves as a crucial opportunity to reassess her game plan before the season’s final Grand Slam. Meanwhile, Putintseva and Fernandez are poised to build on their momentum as they continue to make waves in the tournament.
Stay tuned for more updates and analysis as the Cincinnati Open unfolds and the US Open approaches.
