Round 2: Coco Gauff vs. Donna Vekic
Arthur Ashe Stadium – Night Session – First Match
- Gauff is ready to show up and show off her skills and new serve under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium. She lifted the US Open trophy on that court two years ago, and after a shocking first-round exit at Wimbledon after her title run at Roland Garros, the No. 3 seed is hoping to reclaim the trophy along her No. 2 ranking—but she has to make it one round further in Flushing than Iga Swiatek in order to do so.
- Vekic owns a 12-10 record at Flushing Meadows, and is looking to make the third round of the US Open for the fourth time. Her best result here was a trip to the quarterfinals in 2019 before falling to Belinda Bencic. If she manages to defeat Gauff, this will be the Croat's second Top 10 win at a Slam; she bested 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens at Wimbledon in 2018.
- The American has a 17-3 record in the second round of Slams, and is 29-1 against players outside the Top 20 since the 2023 US Open, the one loss coming at the hands of Dayana Yastremska at Wimbledon earlier this summer. Yastremska fell in the first round, so that seed-slayer won't be a problem for Gauff later in the draw.
- Vekic has lost her last five matches against Grand Slam champions, last notching a win over a major winner at the 2024 Paris Olympics when she defeated Gauff en route to the silver medal.
- Gauff's best results this year were her Roland Garros title and trips to the final at Rome and Madrid, while Vekic has made runs to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Madrid, losing to Madison Keys at the latter two tournaments.
- They have played twice before and split their meetings 1-1. Vekic won their third-round meeting at the Olympics last year on the red clay of Roland Garros, while Gauff earned a decisive 6-4, 6-2 victory at the United Cup earlier this season.
