US Open: Coco Gauff makes storming start while Serena and Venus Williams are drawn to face Maya Joint and Chan Hao-Ching in women's doubles
Coco Gauff makes winning start with Williams sisters set to begin US Open women's doubles against team with Maya Joint, who beat Serena in singles at Wimbledon; watch the US Open live on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app
Wednesday 2 September 2026 04:04, UK
Coco Gauff opened her US Open campaign with a straight-sets win over Zeynep Sonmez, while two-time women's doubles champions Serena and Venus Williams are set to face Maya Joint and Chan Hao-Ching after the draw on Tuesday.
Home favourite Gauff arrived fresh from winning the Cincinnati Open and is chasing a third Grand Slam title after her breakthrough triumph in New York in 2023.
The American, who has reached the fourth round or better here in each of the last four years, will face either Daria Kasatkina or Paula Badosa in the second round.
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"I wasn't that nervous today, which was a shock," Gauff said on court. "When I walked back out on this court, I was trying to hold back a smile."
Gauff was in control early as she took the only break of serve in the first set and wrapping up the opener in just over half an hour.
World No 53 Sonmez showed flashes of her talent and produced a string of impressive winners, including a blistering backhand that drew applause from the crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium and even Gauff herself.
Sonmez, 24, settled in the second set, trading breaks, and began testing the American with deep groundstrokes and forays to the net.
Gauff came under pressure trailing 3-2 but fought off three break points to hold and level the set before breaking Sonmez to reassert control at 4-3.
The 22-year-old pulled away from there as Sonmez struggled to sustain the level that had briefly unsettled the fourth seed, leaving Gauff to close out a comfortable win.
"I know that I can raise my level if I need to," said Gauff. "I like to challenge my opponent to keep up that level the whole match, and if they do, I clap my hands and walk off the court with my head held high. But I was able to settle down."
Serena to face Wimbledon rematch with Maya Joint - but in women's doubles!
Serena and Venus Williams will compete together in the women's doubles againstthe team of Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint - who beat Serena at Wimbledon this summer.
The Americans, who won the US Open doubles title in 1999 and 2009, last played together at a Grand Slam in New York in 2022, losing in the first round.
The sisters planned to reunite at Wimbledon following Serena's return to competition during the grass-court season in June, but she withdrew after suffering a knee injury in her first-round singles match against Maya Joint.
Serena, 44, returned this year after four years out of action and lost to Joint, a 20-year-old from Australia.
She injured her knee in the match and had to pull out of her planned doubles match at the All England Club with Venus, 46.
The teamed up at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where they lost in the first round to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns.
Joint and Chan are the No 14-seeded team.
The first round of the women's doubles tournament begins Thursday.
Second seed Elena Rybakina also advanced after beating teenage American wild card Thea Frodin 6-3 6-2.
Frodin once played Serena Williams' double in the tennis scenes during the Oscar-winning film about the lives of Serena and her sister Venus, King Richard, starring Will Smith.
She said: "I actually have not met her yet. But hopefully I can get the chance soon to get the opportunity to meet her.
"I saw that Will Smith reposted one of my posts, so that was pretty cool and a cool experience."
In the men's draw, fifth seed Flavio Cobolli needed five sets to see off Argentinian Francisco Comesana, while ninth seed Taylor Fritz - one of the big hopes for a home success in New York this year - beat fellow American Darwin Blanch in three.
Frenchman Gael Monfils, who retires at the end of the year, celebrated his 40th birthday in style with a 2-6 6-2 6-1 6-0 victory over Adolfo Alvarez.
The US Open is live on Sky Sports from August 30. Stream tennis with no contract on NOW and the Sky Sports App. You can also watch the Laver Cup at The O2 in London from 25-27 September live on Sky Sports.
