Coco Gauff delivers emotional immediate reaction after reaching the US Open third round, ‘honestly, I’m sorry’

Coco Gauff is into the US Open third round, having traversed through a tricky fixture to defeat Donna Vekic in straight sets.

The Croatian was being backed by some to cause huge problems for the number three seed, given the huge power she boasts.

It was expected that she might target the forehand side of Coco Gauff, which has let her down in recent months. But instead it was Vekic who broke down under the pressure of the crowd, whilst also nursing an injury concern.

Neither player will walk away from the court tonight feeling happy with their personal performance, but how often has that been said about Gauff after progressing yet again through a draw?

The pressure of expectation on this 21-year-old was clearly weighing her down throughout the match, although she didn’t let it show until afterwards in an emotional on-court interview.

Coco Gauff cries on court after US Open second-round win

First asked to rate her performance and the result as a whole, Gauff began by noting: “Yeah, honestly, I’m sorry. Honestly, today was, it was tough for me, but I’m just happy with how I was able to manage to finish a rough couple of weeks.”

However, as she continued to speak, her voice quivered, and she was forced to stop to wipe away tears: “I’m just happy to be back on the court and you guys bring me so much joy and the reason and the reason I, sorry… Sorry. [stops to cry].

“I’m doing this for myself, but I’m also doing it for you, and no matter how tough it gets inside, you can do it.”

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Asked to expand on her love for the US Open crowd, Gauff continued: “Oh, I feed off it a lot. Yeah, I mean, I’ve had some tough moments on this court; you guys pull me through each time, so I really do appreciate it.

“My first set was tough for me, but you guys stayed for me, so I really thank you guys.”

One of the crucial moments of the match came when the American snatched a tough first set in a tiebreak, and she concluded by explaining her thoughts during that crunch moment: “I’m just trying to tell myself to breathe, and honestly, I just get the ball in the court and just trying to remember the things that I do well.

“Yeah, and I honestly, I don’t remember a lot of it in the first set, to be honest, but yeah, it’s kind of amazing that I was able to get out of that one, but once I was able to reset, I went to the bathroom splashing water, on my face, and after that felt a lot better out here.”

Coco Gauff continues to win against the odds

Gauff is always expected to make her way through the draw with minimal fuss, with her ranking indicative of her quality.

However, whilst her physicality and work rate never falter, the technical assets she boasts can at times break down and expose a weakness for opponents to exploit.

It was thought that Vekic’s power could build on what Ajla Tomljanović managed in the first round, pushing Gauff all the way.

Sadly, in her compromised state, the Olympic silver medalist just didn’t have enough.

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Tomljanović admitted she was disappointed after her loss to Gauff, but emphasised how close and competitive she felt to the former US Open champion.

With Naomi Osaka looming in her area of the draw, and in remarkably good form, the ultimate test could be just around the corner for Gauff.

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