Coco Gauff Advances to Round Two at the Australian Open 2026

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Coco Gauff kicked off her pursuit of a first Australian Open title with a convincing straight-sets win over Kamilla Rakhimova at Rod Laver Arena on Monday. The third seed triumphed 6-2, 6-3 to progress into the next round.

Despite a moment of vulnerability on her serve, where she was briefly broken at 5-2 in the second set, Gauff showcased resilience. Rakhimova could not convert two match points during the next game, allowing Gauff to secure victory with a backhand that sailed just inside the baseline.

Having previously reached the semi-finals at Melbourne Park and being a quarter-finalist last year, French Open champion Gauff is now gunning for her third Grand Slam title.

In the subsequent round, she will take on left-handed Olga Danilovic, who notably defeated Venus Williams on the opening day, for a chance to advance to the third round.