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In her first Grand Slam match since defending her US Open title, Coco Gough overcame patchy serving to sweep Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the Australian Open.
No. 3 seed Goff has made at least one double fault in seven of his nine service games, but the American has been broken just once in the two recent meetings of major champions. He had difficulty seeing the ball at one end of the court because of the sunlight.
“It was a tough match for me today,” said Gough, who lost to 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin in their last meeting in the first round of 2023 Wimbledon. “I knew it was going to be tough going into it, but I’m happy with the way I played.”
Last September, Goff lost to Emma Navarro in the fourth round of the US Open after recording 19 double faults, a career high. He had the most double faults on tour in 2024 and called the problem a “mental hurdle”.
Australian Open Draw: woman | male
“I don’t want to lose matches like that again,” he said then.
Seventeen days later, it was announced that Goff had parted ways with coach Brad Gilbert, ending a more than year-long relationship that helped secure her first Slam title at the 2023 US Open.
Gough added Matt Daly to a coaching team that already included Jean-Christophe Fourel.
Since then, Goff has won 19 of 21 matches, including two over Iga Suatek and one over Aryna Sabalenka. She won titles this season at the China Open, WTA Finals and then the United Cup team event.
Goff’s serve was still an issue at times, but he was content to change his habits and make himself uncomfortable on the court. That includes a new grip.
“I have some more tools to work on,” he said ahead of the Australian Open. “Also I think going for my shots more, being more okay with missing, taking chances. Before that, I think I won a lot of matches just to get a lot of balls back. I realized that if I want to have more success on tour, that’s not the way to play because the girls are getting more aggressive and hitting harder and harder every day.”
In the second round on Wednesday, Gough takes on Brit Jody Burrage, who is ranked 85th.
If the seed holds, Goff will play two-time defending champion Sabalenka in the semifinals. Goff defeated Sabalenka in the final of the 2023 US Open, then fell to the Belarusian in the semi-finals of the 2024 Australian Open.
After the WTA final, world No. 3 Goff was asked if the No. 1 ranking was on her mind.
“I’ve never been a ranking-focused person,” he said. “I just want to slam.”
The 2025 Australian Open will run from January 12-26 in Melbourne.
