Coco Gauff, the teenage tennis sensation who captured her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, is off to a blistering start in 2025. The 18-year-old American extended her unbeaten streak to an impressive 11 matches and 14 sets with a commanding 6-3, 7-5 victory over Britain’s Jodie Burrage in the second round of the Australian Open.
Gauff Overcomes Second Set Challenges
Despite her dominance, Gauff encountered some resistance in the second set. She struggled with double faults, hitting six of her seven in that set alone. This allowed Burrage to stage a brief comeback, winning four games in a row to go from a break down at 1-3 to a break up at 5-3.
However, with Burrage serving for the set, Gauff regained her composure and unleashed a four-game run of her own to close out the match. The world No. 3 finished with just 11 unforced errors compared to 37 from her opponent, underlining her superior consistency from the baseline.
“It was tough. She was serving really well, so I was just trying to manage that, honestly. She really stepped her level up in the middle of the second set, so I was just trying to be offensive when I could.”
– Coco Gauff on overcoming Jodie Burrage’s second set challenge
Fine-Tuning Her Game
Gauff acknowledged that Burrage’s strong returns put pressure on her serve, forcing her to avoid anything short to prevent her opponent from hitting winners. The young American has been focusing on improving her serve and forehand since late last season as she aims to consolidate her position at the top of the women’s game.
Scintillating Form Continues
Gauff’s unbeaten run stretches back to the WTA Finals in November, where she claimed the prestigious title with four consecutive wins, including impressive straight-sets victories over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek. This triumph, combined with her maiden Grand Slam success at the US Open, has established Gauff as a genuine force to be reckoned with on the women’s tour.
Next Up: Fernandez Rematch
Gauff’s third-round opponent will be a familiar foe in Leylah Fernandez, the Canadian star who burst onto the scene as the surprise runner-up at the 2021 US Open. The two young guns have already faced each other this season, with Gauff prevailing in their encounter at the United Cup team event. Fernandez, however, will be buoyed by her fighting spirit in her second-round win over Cristina Bucsa, where she battled back from a set down to triumph 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
As the Australian Open heats up, all eyes will be on Coco Gauff to see if she can maintain her sizzling form and make a deep run at the year’s first Grand Slam. With her growing maturity, impressive shot-making, and unflappable demeanor, the teenage prodigy has all the tools to etch her name on the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and further cement her status as the brightest young star in women’s tennis.
