Coco Gauff, the fourth-seeded American tennis star, is gearing up for a challenging second-round match at the U.S. Open against Spain's Paula Badosa. Gauff, who triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2023 and recently claimed victory at the Cincinnati Open, is looking to build on her momentum following a solid first-round performance. In her opening match, she defeated Zeynep Sonmez with relative ease, serving five aces and facing only one break of serve.
Despite her impressive credentials, Gauff faces a unique challenge in Badosa, an unseeded opponent who has previously bested her in their past encounters. The two players have a history, with Gauff falling to Badosa in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Australian Open, a defeat that stung as it halted her bid for consecutive semifinal appearances. As Gauff aims for her second U.S. Open title and a third Grand Slam championship overall, the stakes are high. She has reached at least the fourth round in every U.S. Open since 2022, and a loss to Badosa would mark her earliest exit from a Grand Slam since her first-round defeat at Wimbledon in 2025.
Today's match is scheduled to take place on Thursday, September 3, at 7 p.m. ET in the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest venue at the U.S. Open. Fans can catch the action live on ESPN2 or stream it via Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers. The match promises to be an exciting showdown as Gauff looks to avenge her previous losses to Badosa.
Badosa, currently ranked No. 87 in the WTA standings, has had a mixed history at the U.S. Open, having failed to qualify in two of the last three years. However, she made a significant impact in 2024 by reaching the quarterfinals and followed that up with a strong performance at the 2025 Australian Open, where she defeated Gauff in the quarterfinals. Badosa's recent form has been impressive, as she won a WTA 125 event in Sweden and reached the final of a WTA 250 tournament in Romania earlier this summer.
In their head-to-head matchups, Badosa leads with a 5-3 record against Gauff, having won their last two encounters. Gauff's last victory over Badosa came in 2024 during a hard court event in Beijing. If Gauff manages to secure a win today, she will advance to the third round, where she is set to face either Cristina Bucsa of Spain or Himeno Sakatsume of Japan, who recently upset the 28th-seeded Sara Bejlek in the first round.
As the U.S. Open progresses, Gauff's path to the final on September 12 could see her facing formidable opponents, including fourth-round rival Iva Jovic, quarterfinal contender Mirra Andreeva, semifinal opponent Elena Rybakina, and potentially Aryna Sabalenka in the final. With the tournament heating up, all eyes will be on Gauff as she seeks to continue her pursuit of another Grand Slam title.
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