Coco Gauff Advances to Australian Open Second Round Despite Serving Challenges

Coco Gauff advanced to the second round of the 2026 Australian Open with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Kamilla Rakhimova despite early serving difficulties, including multiple double faults. The 21-year-old American, a two-time Grand Slam champion, has been working on her serve and showed improved consistency in the second set. Gauff will face Olga Danilovic next, who recently defeated Venus Williams. Gauff aims to improve on her best Melbourne performance, a 2024 semifinal finish.