It wasn’t supposed to be this tough. Not for Coco Gauff, the reigning champ, playing under the Tuesday night lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium. The script was simple: a comfortable first-round win to kick off her title defense. But Ajla Tomljanovic clearly never got the memo.

What unfolded was less of a routine victory and more of a three-set nail-biter that had the New York crowd collectively holding its breath. Gauff eventually scraped through with a 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5 win, but “survived” feels like the more appropriate term here. This was a grind. A street fight disguised as a tennis match.

Gauff’s Shaky Start and Coaching Carousel

Gauff looked a little rattled from the get-go. She dropped her opening service game, spraying errors like a malfunctioning sprinkler. Maybe it was the pressure,

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