Fast Lane Ahead, Gauff Hammering ‘Nitro Button’

American returns to Cincy, where she triumphed in 2023

By Grant Thompson

Coco Gauff is ready to hit the nitro button. 

For the highest-ranked American, the US hard-court swing is when everything shifts into overdrive. Whether she is picturing an old-school arcade classic that predates the 2004-born Gauff, or a modern game with real-life graphics, the idea is the same: it’s time to go full throttle in front of home fans at the Cincinnati Open and eventually at the US Open, the final major of the season.

“You just want to give it your all this time of year,” Gauff told reporters in Cincinnati on Thursday. “It feels like I’m pushing that nitro button and just leaving it all out there. You’re just on the court and you’re like, ‘I just want to give it literally everything’.”

“I just want to give it literally everything.”

Gauff leads a pack of top talent in the United States, a country that boasts four players in the WTA Top 10: No. 2 Gauff, No. 4 Jessica Pegula, No. 6 Madison Keys and No. 8 Amanda Anisimova. Emma Navarro, who was inside the Top 10 as recently as June, is just outside the mix at No. 11.

On the men’s side, Taylor Fritz sits in the Top 5 and Ben Shelton is closing fast following his first Masters 1000 triumph in Toronto. Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul are inside the Top 20. It begs the question, is there any friendly rivalry between the American men and women of who can taste more success? 

“[It] hasn’t been much of a competition, no offense to [the men],” Gauff said with a laugh. “We had four straight Slams with an American in the final, so I think we’re doing pretty good, they have to catch up!”

Still, Gauff has a vision for the future: “I would love to see in my lifetime an American woman and an American male win the same Slam, that would be great. At the US Open [last year], they were both in the final [Fritz and Pegula], so hopefully maybe this US Open, some magic can happen.”

Gauff has more than done her part, lifting two major trophies, most recently at Roland Garros, where she won a topsy-turvy, three-set final against Aryna Sabalenka. 

Seeded second in Cincinnati, this tournament still holds a special place in Gauff’s heart. In 2023, at age 19, she became the youngest women’s champion in tournament history, beating then-World No. 1 Iga Swiatek for the first time in eight strenuous tries. Just 20 days later, she won her first major title at the US Open. That emotional victory in Cincinnati was a springboard. 

“I think it was super important because it gave me the belief that I could win a Slam,” reflected Gauff. 

“Little did I know it would be shortly after. I just thought it would happen eventually,” she added. “People had expectations, so for me, it meant a lot. I just felt like that was a great statement tournament and led me to believe that I could beat top players.”

Gauff is aiming to recapture the momentum she built earlier this season when she reached three straight finals — Madrid and Rome, in addition to her Roland Garros triumph. After a surprising first-round exit at Wimbledon, Gauff unplugged by spending three days in Florida’s natural springs, even turning off her phone during that period. Last week in Montreal, she lost in the third round to eventual champion Victoria Mboko.

Gauff arrived in Cincinnati on Wednesday evening, just hours after winning the Montreal doubles title alongside McCartney Kessler. Holding her first practice in Cincy on Thursday afternoon, Gauff was greeted with applause as warm as the afternoon temps while walking onto Court 22, one of 10 new practice courts at the transformed Lindner Family Tennis Center.

Thanks to a first-round bye, Gauff will begin her tournament this weekend… Nitro button ready.