January 19, 2026 11:01 AM
Aus Open: Gauff brushes past Uzbekistan’s Rakhimova to reach second round
Coco Gauff, the No. 3 seed, opened her Australian Open 2026 campaign with a straight-sets 6-2, 6-3 win over Kamilla Rakhimova at Rod Laver Arena on Monday. The victory marked the American youngster’s 75th career Grand Slam match win and improved her first-round Slam record to 23–4. Despite serving struggles that included seven double faults, Gauff controlled the match, overcoming early pressure and closing it out in 1 hour and 39 minutes. “I try not to put so much pressure on myself in t...