Coco Gauff, seeded third, began her Australian Open 2026 journey with a convincing 6-2, 6-3 win against Kamilla Rakhimova at Rod Laver Arena. This win marked Gauff’s 75th career Grand Slam victory and improved her first-round Slam record to 23-4. Despite facing serving difficulties, including seven double faults, Gauff managed to control the match and secure the win in 1 hour and 39 minutes.
Rakhimova displayed resilience during the match, saving three set points to hold serve at 2-5 in the first set. However, Gauff remained composed and closed out the set with an unreturnable serve. Moving into the second set, Rakhimova fought hard, earning support from the crowd, but Gauff’s consistency proved crucial as she took a commanding 5-1 lead. Despite a brief lapse, Gauff quickly recovered, securing her sixth break of the match and ultimately winning in straight sets.
Following her victory, Gauff is set to face Olga Danilovic in the second round. This match comes after Danilovic’s recent three-set victory over Venus Williams. Gauff expressed readiness for the upcoming challenge, emphasizing the importance of starting strong and building momentum early in the match.
