Coco Gauff has shared an update with fans after her quarterfinal loss at the Cincinnati Open, marking a challenging moment in her 2024 season. The American player was defeated by Jasmine Paolini, during a match where Gauff committed 62 unforced errors, fueling concern about her form ahead of the US Open.

This stretch of play continues to show inconsistency in Gauff’s North American hard court season, threatening her momentum as she prepares for one of tennis’s biggest events in New York.

Recent Match Struggles and Social Media Response

Since claiming her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in May, Gauff has won only four of her subsequent eight matches. Notably, she suffered a first-round exit at Wimbledon and an additional loss during the Canadian Open against Victoria Mboko. Following her back-to-back straight-set defeats to Paolini, Gauff took to Instagram to post a series of photos from Cincinnati, paired with a brief caption reflecting on her time at the tournament.

Factors Increasing Difficulty in Gauff’s US Open Draw

Although she exited early in Cincinnati, Gauff is not competing in mixed doubles at the US Open, as she previously announced this would not be part of her schedule following the event’s format changes. Her full focus remains on the singles bracket, where she won the title two years ago.

However, recent results have raised the possibility that Iga Swiatek could surpass Gauff in the WTA rankings. If this occurs, Gauff would drop to the third spot, losing her standing as a top-two seed. This shift could make her US Open path considerably more difficult, potentially forcing matchups against both Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka en route to the title—opponents she might previously have been able to avoid as the second seed.

The outcome in Cincinnati’s final, where Swiatek aims to secure victory, will determine whether Gauff’s ranking slips before the US Open begins.