“I think that’s a good initiative to start with,” Coco Gauff lauds US Open’s ‘new policy’ to tackle late night finishes

Coco Gauff lauds US Open organizers for taking the right steps to ensure there are no late-night matches at this year's tournament.

“I think that’s a good initiative to start with,” Coco Gauff lauds US Open’s ‘new policy’ to tackle late night finishes

Coco Gauff (Image via X)

Coco Gauff has lauded the new initiative set by the US Open organizers to prevent late-night matches. The World No. 3 is seeking her second career Grand Slam and successful title defence this fortnight.

Gauff rose to fame in the tennis world after clinching her first Grand Slam at the US Open last year, becoming the youngest player since Serena Williams to win it. This season has been difficult for Gauff. She failed to defend her Canadian and Cincinnati titles, exiting early in both tournaments.

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However, Gauff hopes that the US Open will change her poor run of form. She believes that preventing late-night matches is a step in the right direction for her goal of defending the US Open title. Though she has never been caught up in a late-night match in New York, she does not intend to ever experience it.

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Last year, the third-round match between Novak Djokovic and Laslo Djere ended by 1:30 am. Ahead of the year’s tournament, the organizers have revealed their plans to prevent late night this year by making sure no match starts after 11:00 pm. Gauff lauded their effort to see that the tournament ran according to schedule.

I do think that finishing late can really ruin your tournament, especially, like, on the guys' side when they go on at 11:00 or 12:00, max maybe the longest a women's match will go two hours or three hours, but men's can go, like, five. I think I heard the US Open this year; if you're going to start after 11:00, they're going to move your court. I think that's a good initiative to start. You may win that match that day but your sleep schedule and everything is completely messed up for the rest of the tournament.
Coco Gauff said at a press conference

Gauff will open her US Open campaign against Varvara Gracheva on August 26. It is the second meeting between the duo, with the American claiming a 6-1, 6-1 win in their first meeting at the Auckland Open in January.

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Coco Gauff projected to face tough opponents in her goal to defending the US Open

Coco Gauff will hope to find her rhythm at the US Open following her poor run of recent results. Since Wimbledon, she has failed to get past the Round of 16 of any other tournament. After a third-round exit in the Paris Olympics singles, she has secured only one win in three matches.

Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff (Image via Imago)

The World No. 3 is projected to face a tough challenge in her title defense at the US Open. She will face Varvara Gracheva in the first round and then will likely face Tatjana Maria in the second round. Her first major test could be No. 27 seed Elina Svitolina in the third round. She will likely play Emma Navarro in the fourth round, which will be a rematch of the Wimbledon Round of 16 clash.

If she does beat Navarro, she will likely face Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova before meeting Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals. Despite her struggles, Gauff will hope to come out on top of each of her matches as she seeks a second career Grand Slam.

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