Queens, NY—–Coco Gauff has once again made her way through a difficult early-round challenge at the US Open.
The 2023 champion defeated Paula Badosa 6-4, 7-6(5) on Thursday, earning a place in the third round at Flushing Meadows for the fifth consecutive year.
Gauff will return to action Saturday against another Spaniard, Cristina Bucsa, Spain’s top-ranked player in the tournament.
The victory was particularly significant for Gauff given her recent history against Badosa. The American had dropped her previous two meetings with the Spaniard, including a comeback victory by Badosa earlier this year in Berlin, where she rallied from a set down to win 1-6, 6-3, 6-2. Badosa had also defeated Gauff at the 2025 Australian Open on her way to the semifinals.
Thursday’s result moved Gauff closer in their career series, with Badosa still holding a 5-4 advantage. Gauff’s previous victory over Badosa came at the 2024 China Open.
The matchup once again featured a contrast in styles. Badosa relied heavily on her power and aggressive baseline game, while Gauff countered with speed, court coverage and variety.
For Gauff, facing a player who had caused her problems in the past provided an important test this early in the tournament.
“I think it’s good to be battle-tested,” Gauff said. “When I won here in 2023, I think I went three sets, I felt like, almost every match.”
Gauff said she was aware before the tournament that a difficult second-round opponent could await her.
“When I saw the draw, I was, like, ‘Well I lost to Daria a bunch of times, and I lost to Paula a bunch of times.’ So I knew if I got through my first-round match, the second round was just going to be tough, regardless.”
That mindset proved valuable.
“I think for me it’s a good confidence booster knowing that I can get through these matches,” Gauff said. “Obviously, you know, I would prefer maybe not to play somebody I’ve lost to so many times second round. But I think today was a big confidence booster.”
Badosa immediately applied pressure in the opening game, but Gauff responded when she needed to most. After facing two break points, the American rattled off four consecutive points to protect her serve, punctuating the game with an ace that reached 115 mph.
Badosa’s backhand continued to cause problems throughout the match. She repeatedly used the shot to move Gauff around the court, including during a pivotal game at 2-2. After stretching Gauff wide, Badosa received the return near the center of the baseline and fired another backhand into the open court before finishing the point at the net.
The Spaniard held for a 3-2 advantage, but the opening set remained tightly contested.
Neither player was able to create much separation through the first six games. That changed at 3-3 when an unforced error from Badosa opened the door.
With Badosa serving at 40-30, she appeared to have an opportunity to hit a forehand winner after pushing Gauff wide. Instead, she mishit the shot, allowing Gauff to extend the rally. Moments later, Badosa attempted a drop shot that failed to clear the net, handing Gauff the break.
Gauff took advantage and closed out the 52-minute opening set, winning her final two service games. She finished the set in style with a serve-and-volley on her second set point.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with neither player willing to give the other much breathing room.
Gauff earned her first break-point opportunity of the set when Badosa once again tried to surprise her with a drop shot. The attempt clipped the net and fell back onto Badosa’s side, leaving the Spaniard visibly frustrated.
The error was Badosa’s 18th unforced mistake of the match.
Gauff eventually moved ahead, but Badosa refused to let the match slip away. With Gauff serving at 4-3, Badosa put together a strong stretch to reach 0-30 before eventually earning the break to level the set at 4-4.
Gauff acknowledged that the pressure situations were another opportunity to draw on her experience.
“I definitely think I have gotten a lot of experience playing in these pressure moments, what to do and what not to do,” she said. “It’s still a learning experience and things like that. I definitely feel more comfortable, especially on the serving end of things.”
Even after Badosa broke her serve twice, Gauff maintained her composure.
“She broke me two times, one time serving for it. I wasn’t too upset,” Gauff said. “I don’t think I could have served that much better.”
The American said serving has become an area where she feels increasingly confident when matches reach their most important moments.
“That’s the part of my game where I feel less pressure and I know I can get a big serve in when I need to,” Gauff said. “It’s just about if my opponent responds, and she did.”
Badosa continued to fight as the set approached its conclusion, but Gauff created another major opportunity at 5-5. She jumped out to a 0-40 lead and eventually converted her third break point when another Gauff drop shot proved too difficult for Badosa to handle.
Gauff celebrated the breakthrough with a loud “Let’s go, come on!” as the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd responded.
Badosa, however, was not finished.
She held serve to force the second-set tiebreak, setting up a tense finish between two players who had become familiar with high-pressure battles against one another.
Gauff kept her composure and closed out the tiebreak 7-5, securing her eighth tiebreak victory of the season and punching her ticket into the third round.
More importantly, she walked away from the match with a victory over an opponent who had recently given her plenty of trouble — exactly the kind of early-tournament test Gauff believes can prepare her for another deep run in New York.
