Coco Gauff powered into the second round of the 2026 Australian Open with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Kamilla Rakhimova at Rod Laver Arena on Monday, January 19. Gauff needed just an hour and 39 minutes to overwhelm her opponent.
The American controlled the match, capitalizing on her opponent’s mistakes and breaking her serve six times to clinch the win. Several points left fans awestruck. Gauff’s father, Corey, took to social media to share one of the best points of the match.
The Australian Open’s official account highlighted the 21-year-old American’s strong net play and determination. For one point, Rakhimova’s precise placement moved Gauff around the court, but the two-time Grand Slam champion still won it. Gauff ended the point with a forehand volley. Her agility and quick reactions amazed the crowd and commentators.
“Wow!” wrote Gauff’s father in his Instagram story.
Coco Gauff Might Have Identified the Cause for Her Inconsistency
Last year, Gauff excelled on European clay, reaching three straight finals and winning the French Open. However, she then lost in the first round at Wimbledon, struggled for consistency on North American hard courts, and fell in the fourth round of the US Open.
Reflecting on her recent struggles, Gauff said the following during an exclusive Australian Open interview:
“It definitely is a goal to be more consistent. For me, I look at it as life. They’re 25, 26. In most areas of life, a 25-year-old or 26-year-old is more consistent than a 21-year-old.”
“I kind of look at it like that. But also knowing that I do want to be more consistent. I do want to give it my all in each match. But I think more of that stemmed from my serve and having really good days and really bad days. I think the more that stroke becomes more consistent, the more my results will become more consistent,” she added.
With her focus on consistency, Gauff will next take the court on Wednesday and face Olga Danilovic at Rod Laver Arena.
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