It's been a rocky US Open already for Coco Gauff - ESPN

ELEVEN WEEKS AGO, Coco Gauff stood on Court Philippe Chatrier and hoisted the Suzanne Lenglen Cup as thousands of fans showered her with an ovation.

It was the second major title of her young career, following a stellar clay season, and she looked poised for more success throughout the rest of the year.

But on grass she was unable to find any momentum. She lost in the opening round of her lone warmup tournament ahead of Wimbledon. And at the All England Club, three weeks after her triumph in Paris, she was upset in the first round in straight sets.

«I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came after [the French Open],» a disappointed Gauff said following the loss. «I didn't feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it.»

But the early exit meant Gauff, 21, would have more time to prepare for the North American hard-court swing and the year's final major at the US Open. She won the title in 2023 and was an early contender to win it again.

On Thursday, Gauff was back in front of an adoring crowd yet again — this time, in front of 24,000 people at Arthur Ashe Stadium. She was victorious in her second-round clash against Donna Vekic, and the fans showed their appreciation for everything Gauff had overcome in the match. She had been visibly struggling throughout.

«Honestly, today was a tough match for me, but I'm just happy with how I was able to manage it. It's been a rough couple of weeks,» Gauff said before she began to cry. «You guys really helped me a lot so I'm doing this for myself and I'm also doing it for you. No matter how tough it gets inside, you can do it.»

Now, into the third round in New York following her hard-fought 7-6 (5), 6-2 win over Vekic, Gauff