Coco Gauff had a ‘shock’ during her first round match at the US Open, but for the fourth seed it was a good one to experience.

The 2023 champion kickstarted her latest campaign at Flushing Meadows with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Turkey’s Zeynep Sönmez. Dropping her serve only once during the match, Gauff converted three of six break point opportunities and hit 18 winners against 12 unforced errors. She has now won 25 out of 29 first round Grand Slam matches in her career.

“I wasn’t that nervous today, which was a shock,” Gauff said during her on-court interview. “When I walked out on the court to warm up, I was trying to hold back a smile. It’s incredible to be back on this court. … It’s never something I take for granted, and I love playing in this atmosphere.”

22-year-old Gauff is making her eighth appearance at the US Open this year and her 29th in a major main draw overall. Despite her young age, she has already played 112 Grand Slam matches, winning 86 of those. To put this into perspective, Sonmez is two years older and was playing in her 15th.

It is assumed that this experience plays a factor in the reason why Gauff felt at ease during her opening match. Although she isn’t entirely sure.

“I was nervous in the tunnel, and then for some reason when the warm-up started, it went away. I think it showed in the first game how I came out serving really well.” She later told reporters.

“I don’t know what puts my mind at ease. I think maybe the confidence I had this week and knowing the opponent would have to play at a really high level.

“But Zeynep brought that high level today. I was just happy to get out of that second set.”

Eala tuning out the noise

Another player who shrugged off the nerves was Alexandra Eala, who is playing in her seventh Grand Slam main draw. The Filipino moved into the second round after dismissing qualifier Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2.

“There were nerves, for sure. I am not really sure if I can pinpoint where they came from, if it’s from the noise or if it’s from the first round of a slam,” she said.

“With experience, my goal is to tune it out.”

Eala has a large fanbase, and it has become a common occurrence for her matches to be packed with fans. Especially when she plays in places such as New York that have a large Filipino community. There are an estimated 50,000 people of Filipino heritage living in Queens and ‘Little Manila’ is a 10-minute subway ride from the US Open venue.

“I’ve had experience with big crowds, especially in the past year,” Eala continued.

“I’ve been navigating quite well within myself to keep the focus and focus on what I need to pay attention to and points A, B, and C.

“In the end, when you get into the groove, get into the rhythm, we play tennis.

“I think whether there are so many people or none. I think once the players get into that groove, the effect of external factors lessens a little bit.”

Gauff and Eala are in the same section of the draw and they could clash in the fourth round. Although their immediate focus will be on their next opponents. Gauff will play either Daria Kasatkina or Paula Badosa, whose match has been suspended due to rain. Meanwhile, Eala plays Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova next.