Coco Gauff will be looking to bounce back at the Canadian Open, after being shocked in the first round of Wimbledon.
After defeating Aryna Sabalenka to win the French Open title, Gauff was stunned by Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska, losing in straight sets.
The loss formed part of an unusually high number of major exits during the first round of Wimbledon. A record 23 seeds exited in the first round of the men’s and women’s singles draws.
Gauff will appear at her first tournament since Wimbledon when she plays at the Canadian Open this week.
Ahead of her first match in Montreal, the two-time Grand Slam champion revealed a change to the tournament that she has enjoyed being a part of.
Coco Gauff really likes the ‘change’ from Toronto to Montreal
Speaking at the singles draw ceremony in Montreal, Canada, Gauff discussed her return to the tournament.
The American said: “I am very happy to be back here in Montreal. I hope to have a good start to the hard-court tour, since this will be my first tournament on this surface since last March.
“I have been thinking about returning to this tournament for a long time, so my wish is that things go well, I hope I can make it happen.”
Gauff was then asked why she has decided to return to the Canadian Open.
She said: “One of the reasons is that it is a WTA 1000 and we are obliged to play them (laughs). Now seriously, it’s a big tournament, so I try not to miss any of these.
“Obviously, being American, I am very close to home. For me, it is a very simple, very friendly trip. I always enjoy it a lot here, the people are super affectionate.
“I also really like the change that takes place every summer between Toronto and Montreal. That makes you face the tournaments with a lot of freshness, as if everything were new.”
Who could Coco Gauff face first in Montreal?
As the number one seed in Montreal, Coco Gauff has received a bye through to the second round. This means the American could face one of two players.
She could face Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova or compatriot Danielle Collins.
Collins has enjoyed previous success on the big stage, having reached the 2022 Australian Open final.
Gauff has played Tomova once, beating the Bulgarian in straight sets at the 2024 Wuhan Open. Gauff is yet to play Danielle Collins on the WTA Tour.
