Coco Gauff Outlasts Badosa in Arthur Ashe Thriller to Advance at US Open

A Hard-Fought Victory on Home Soil

World No. 4 Coco Gauff snapped a two match losing streak against her Spanish rival Paula Badosa on Thursday night, delivering a clutch performance to reach the third round of the 2026 US Open. The 2023 champion secured her fifth consecutive third round appearance in New York with a grueling 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. With the two-hour win, Gauff narrowed Badosa’s lead in their head-to-head series to 5-4, recording her first victory over the Spaniard since the 2024 China Open.

Overcoming Recent Head-to-Head Setbacks

The second-round showdown provided Gauff with much needed redemption following recent stumbles against Badosa. Just a few months ago, Badosa pulled off a comeback 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Gauff in Berlin, which marked her first top-10 victory in exactly a year. Badosa also edged out the American at the 2025 Australian Open to reach the final four. Reversing that trend was a vital step for Gauff, who noted that testing herself early in a Grand Slam against opponents she has previously struggled with serves as a great benefit for the rest of the tournament.

As with all their prior battles, the match featured a compelling contrast between Badosa’s raw baseline power and Gauff’s court coverage and tactical variety. While Gauff still has work to do from the baseline landing just 50% of her first serves and hitting five double faults to Badosa’s six her resiliency shone through on key points. She won 57% of her second serve points, demonstrating that the focal mechanical adjustments made to that part of her game over the past year are paying major dividends under pressure.

Eyes on the Top Ranking and Round 3

Gauff will return to the court on Saturday for a third-round matchup against Spain’s highest-ranked player, Cristina Bucsa, with a coveted spot in the Round of 16 on the line. Beyond her immediate draw, a deep run at the 2026 US Open carries high stakes for the American; Gauff could position herself to capture the WTA World No. 1 ranking if No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina suffers an early exit before the semifinals.