U.S. Open 2024: Coco Gauff wins second-round match over Germany's Tatjana Maria

For the last five years before every match, Coco Gauff plays a song to fire her up: “Icon” by Jaden Smith.

The chorus repeats the phrase “I am just an icon living” but ends with the line “I am just an I-I-icon”. It best describes Gauff’s rise in popularity since winning the U.S. Open last year.

The cheers Wednesday night during her second-round match only proved she’s a star hoping to become more. The 6-4, 6-0 win over Germany's Tatjana Maria at Arthur Ashe Stadium reminded all she’s capable of both dominance and improvement.

During the 80-minute match, Gauff, ranked No. 3 in the world, struggled with seven double faults in the first set as part of 20 unforced errors. Her first serve often found the net more than Maria’s side

But leading 5-4, she rallied being down 40-15 in the next game to win the set and the match. She had little trouble in the second set to clinch her ninth consecutive U.S. Open match.

Yet after leaving Court 1, she hit the practice court to work out her serve that she called “not great” against Maria, a 37-year-old veteran ranked No. 99 in the world.

“I felt like my toss was too far in front,” Gauff said. “And I think also when you’re playing, I think I didn’t serve as fast as I normally did in some serves. I think I was between 110-115 (miles per hour) and my last match, I was getting almost every serve 120.”

It’s part of the dilemma that comes with dreams of being iconic. The 20-year-old Gauff remains a precocious talent. She’s the youngest Olympic flag bearer in U.S. history. She's relatable as she talked Wednesday on using social media to see what’s said about her outfits or blocking people for mean comments.

Yet being great means fixing the troubles that have plagued her recently. Whether it was her serve against Maria, a third-round loss at the Olympics, or a shocking first-round loss at the Cincinnati Open this month, Gauff still has work to do.

But she’s already earned respect from her peers. Ben Shelton, who won his second-round match Wednesday, praised Gauff after the two opened Arthur Ashe with wins on Monday.

“She's charismatic, such a great athlete, so many qualities out there on the court,” Shelton said. “The way that she moves, the way that she can defend. You just see something from her that's special and different.

“Then obviously, she plays with a lot of passion. You could tell that she cares out there. She's into it every time that she's on the court. I think that's something that the people love.”

A brief outburst from the crowd reminded why Gauff is a people’s champ. After a Gauff return went out during the first set, someone yelled “C’mon Coco!” Soon, a few cheers followed.

The support isn’t going anywhere. Neither is Gauff, who hopes to live up to the song she hears before matches. The second verse from Smith’s “Icon” fits her mood after a difficult summer.

“Now I’m focused and we ‘bout to all blow up/We just tryna to make whole crowd go nuts.”

Time will tell if that comes true on Sept. 7 after the women’s final. It’s a long road to being an icon and Gauff has felt the pressure. Now she’s trying to shake it off to regain her form and reward the love she’s received from fans.

“(I have) nothing to lose,” Gauff said during a post-match interview. “I’m 20 years old, I already have one (U.S. Open) under my belt. I have potential to do more whether it happens now or in the future.”

By Evan Barnes

evan.barnes@newsday.comevan_b

Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.