Coco Gauff defeated Ajla Tomljanović in a tense three-setter at the US Open 2025. Get the score, key stats, how her new coach/biomechanics hire shapes her run, and where Gauff goes next in New York.
TL;DR (for searchers in a hurry)
- Result: Coco Gauff defeated Ajla Tomljanović 6–4, 6–7(2), 7–5 in Round 1 of the US Open 2025 after a near-three-hour battle under Ashe lights.
- The storyline: Gauff’s serve wobbled (double faults, missed chances) but she fought through with clutch returning and a backhand dagger on match point.
- New coaching wrinkle: Coming in, she parted with Matt Daly and added biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan to tune the serve. Early days, but the project is clearly central to her NYC campaign.
- What’s next: Gauff faces Donna Vekić in Round 2.
The Latest: Gauff vs Tomljanović — Score, Swings, Survival
On a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium, Coco Gauff (No. 3 seed) opened her US Open 2025 with exactly the kind of gut-check she didn’t want—and exactly the kind of win that can harden a title run. Against Ajla Tomljanović, she prevailed 6–4, 6–7(2), 7–5 in 2:57, a match that swung on momentum bursts, nervy service games, and late-point nerve.
Even with double-digit double faults and stretches of shaky rhythm on serve, Gauff kept finding ways to reset rallies and pressure Tomljanović’s forehand. After failing to serve it out at 5–4 in the third, she immediately broke back and sealed it with a crisp backhand line—then exhaled on court: “It wasn’t the best, but I’m happy to get through.”
Highlights: If you want the beats in under five minutes, the official US Open highlights packages capture the turning points and the clincher.
Why This Win Matters (Beyond the Score)
1) The serve is the story—and the project
Gauff’s team tweak right before New York was the headline: Gavin MacMillan (the biomechanics mind credited with helping transform Aryna Sabalenka’s serve) joined up; Matt Daly exited. Gauff spoke openly about obsessing over improvement; the goal is a more repeatable, confident motion under pressure. Expect incremental benefits rather than an overnight overhaul.
For context on what “MacMillan magic” can look like, Sabalenka has described seeing meaningful improvement within weeks back when they worked together—useful perspective as you watch Gauff’s trajectory through the fortnight.
2) New York brings out her grit
Since lifting her first major here in 2023, Gauff keeps finding margins in Queens. She’s now through a dangerous opener—exactly the type of match that can stabilize belief and sharpen match play for the second week.
3) Ranking stakes and the draw
With Iga Świątek & co. defining the top tier, Gauff’s path always runs through power return games and holding serve under heat. Surviving Tomljanović sets up Donna Vekić next—Olympic silver medalist and a flat-hitting test that will again stress the serve + first-strike formula.
How the Match Unfolded: Key Phases
- Set 1 (Gauff 6–4): A nervy start smoothed out with late-set poise; Gauff won the crucial exchanges to pocket the opener.
- Set 2 (Tomljanović 7–6): From 4–2 up, Gauff blinked; Ajla forced a tiebreak and played it cleaner, 7–2.
- Set 3 (Gauff 7–5): Chaos. Gauff served for the match at 5–4 and double-faulted her way into trouble; she broke back and finished with that backhand arrow. Total iron-will sequence.
On-court reaction & presser sound: Her post-match interview underscores the “win ugly if needed” mindset for Week 1.
[Note: Images are collected from Instagram]
Scouting the New Coach Angle: What to Watch in Gauff’s Mechanics
If you’re tuning in for the Coco Gauff New Coach storyline, here’s your viewing checklist:
- Ball toss & timing: Fewer fishing-expeditions above the head; more consistent contact height.
- First-serve shape: A better mix of flat/wide and body serves to “cheap-point” pressure moments—key vs counter-punchers like Vekić.
- Second-serve trust: Reduced double-fault clusters under scoreboard tension—this was the red flag vs Tomljanović and the top area to track next.
MacMillan’s remit is not just technique—biomechanics also means load management, sequencing, and match-day cues, which can raise her average performance even when the A-game isn’t there.
Ajla Tomljanović: The Foil With Real Pedigree
Tomljanović (remember her Serena Williams upset in 2022) came in unseeded but dangerous: clean ball-striker, sturdy court IQ, and willing to play first-strike tennis. She had windows—especially in the second-set tiebreak and late in the third—but the error count bit hard. Still, she pushed a top-three seed to the brink in primetime, and that travels.
What’s Next: Gauff vs Vekić — Early Keys
- Return position: Vekić likes taking time away; Gauff’s elastic defense and early-contact returns can flip tempo.
- Hold % baseline: Anything north of ~65–70% first-serve points won keeps the path clean; if double-fault clusters return, the door opens.
- Pattern discipline: Backhand cross to set up line changes—the pattern that won match point vs Ajla—will be central again.
(Second-round opponent per reports: Donna Vekić.)
Ajla Tomljanovic: 5 key facts on Aussie who almost beat Coco Gauff at US Openhttps://t.co/uoZEXhsZCr
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) August 27, 2025
Where to Watch Coco Gauff at the US Open 2025
- Broadcast rights (U.S.): ESPN platforms carry the US Open (linear + ESPN+ streaming). (Standard contract; also see event guides and match-specific previews).
- Match-specific where-to-watch roundups and times are updated by outlets like Globely News and by the US Open site’s daily schedule & video hubs.
Pro tip: If you want only the Gauff vs Tomljanović highlights, the official US Open YouTube channel posts condensed reels shortly after play.
Backgrounder: Coco, New York, and the Arc Since 2023
- 2023 US Open champion: That run established her blueprint—athletic defense, improved forehand aggression, elite clutch returning. New York crowds amplify her strengths.
- 2024–25 evolution: The ceiling rose; the serve sometimes lagged. The MacMillan addition is aimed squarely at converting more routine holds so she can play front-foot tennis more often.