After capturing the first French Open championship of her career in June, American tennis star Coco Gauff is on the quest for her second major win of the year.
Gauff faced off Tuesday against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović in a grueling first round match from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis center in Queens, New York. The nearly three-hour long contest saw Gauff double fault on 10 occasions before rallying to a 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 win.
On foot, Gauff laced up her latest, the New Balance Coco CG2 in a US Open-themed colorway which combines Urgent Red with Monarch Burgundy. The pair’s red shade appears somewhat muted in New Balance’s e-commerce photography but came to life on the hardcourt surface, matching Gauff’s bright red New Balance kit. The look is a reference to the colors worn by Gauff during the 2023 US Open, where she earned her first major singles win.
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“It’s difficult when you face opponents who can maybe not play their best tennis for the year and then step it up,” Gauff said in a post-match press conference. “But I think this is the match that I needed. I don’t think it could get anymore stressful than this honestly. The first round is more stressful than the final in my experience. It was a good test.”
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Gauff came into Tuesday’s first round match under the tutelage of Gavin MacMillan, the new biomechanics trainer hired by the tennis star to help sharpen her serve. Gauff fired her former coach, Matt Daly, just days before the US Open began.
Beyond her performance footwear, Gauff was selected in April as the face of the latest Miu Miu x New Balance collection, which arrives at retail in September.
Following Gauff’s victory, sizes of the US Open New Balance Coco CG2 have already begun to sell out. The sneaker is available now from newbalance.com and select New Balance Tennis retailers for $160.