"The Queen of Hard Courts" returns, beginning her quest to reclaim the US Open crown.

(Tennis result) Coco Gauff defeated Zeynep Sonmez 6-3, 6-4 in the first round, thus launching her campaign for a second US Open championship favorably.

Coco Gauff started her US Open campaign with a straight‑sets victory over Zeynep Sonmez. The home player controlled most of the action under the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Gauff returned to New York brimming with confidence after winning the Cincinnati Open. The 2023 US Open champion is aiming for her third career Grand Slam title and her second at Flushing Meadows.

"I wasn't overly nervous today, and that even surprised me. When I stepped back onto this court, I had to hold back a smile," Gauff shared.

The 22‑year‑old created the only break of the first set and maintained her advantage to win 6‑3 in just over half an hour. Her ability to control the pace and steady shot‑making helped Gauff face little difficulty against the world No. 53 opponent.

The Turkish player stepped up her game in the second set. After losing the break in the opening game, Sonmez immediately reclaimed the edge with deep groundstrokes and aggressive net approaches.

Gauff found herself in a tough spot trailing 2‑3 and facing three break points. However, the fourth seed saved all of them to level the score, then broke Sonmez’s serve to move ahead 4‑3.

That was the turning point of the set. Sonmez could not sustain the intensity that had troubled her opponent, while Gauff accelerated to close out the match 6‑4.

"I know I can raise my intensity when needed. I want to force my opponent to maintain that intensity throughout the match. If they can, I'm ready to applaud and leave the court with my head held high. But today, I regained my composure," Gauff said.

The victory extends Gauff's consistent record at her home Grand Slam. In the last four US Opens, the American has always reached at least the round of 16 and has never been eliminated in the first three rounds.

Gauff reached the quarterfinals in 2022 before making the biggest breakthrough of her career by winning the 2023 US Open. In the following two seasons, she stopped in the fourth round, losing to Emma Navarro in 2024 and Naomi Osaka in 2025 respectively.

The 22‑year‑old will face Daria Kasatkina or Paula Badosa in the second round. The match between the two former top‑10 players was interrupted by weather in New York, forcing Gauff to wait longer to learn her next opponent on her quest to reclaim the Flushing Meadows crown.