Cori Gauff handed extremely difficult projected route to winning US Open

Cori Gauff has been handed a pretty difficult projected path to winning the US Open. After meeting a qualifier in the US Open first round, Gauff will very likely play next against 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who recently made the Wimbledon round-of-16 and pushed Gauff into a three-setter when they met at the French Open. In the US Open third round, Gauff could play against No 32 seed Elise Mertens or 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins. In the US Open round-of-16, Gauff is projected to clash against 11th-seeded Petra Kvitova. Gauff’s most challenging task en route to winning the US Open might come in the quarterfinal, where the American is projected to meet world No 1 Iga Swiatek. If Gauff makes it past Swiatek or reaches the US Open semifinal, she would likely play then against fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina. In the US Open final, Gauff could potentially meet No 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka or last year’s runner-up Ons Jabeur.

Gauff on her chances of winning the US Open

After winning her first WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati last week, Gauff was asked about her chances of also becoming a Grand Slam champion at the US Open.

“Just embracing it but also just focusing on your linear path. I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned is that everybody’s path for you is not what’s true, it’s not what’s going to happen. Even the path that you want for yourself may not happen. I believe in just, I don’t know, you give it your all. That’s all you can do. I’m going to give it my all in US Open. If things go great, that’s exciting. If not, I go back and work hard and get ready for the next one. That’s kind of the mentality you have to have. I can’t control how I play. Today I couldn’t control my serve. But that’s the thing, for me, I try to tell myself literally the first point, I knew it was going to be a tough match, I was just, Just accept the good with the bad. I probably double-faulted the most I did in a while. That’s accepting the good with the bad, just keep persevering. So that’s what I’m going to do in US Open. I think this match really taught me a lot really just for maybe my whole career,” Gauff said after winning Montreal.