US Open: Coco Gauff bests Iva Jovic in straight sets to return to quarterfinals

Three years after winning the US Open, Coco Gauff is making another run. The No. 4 seed defeated 18-year-old Iva Jovic, 6-1, 6-4, in a high-profile battle of young American vs. young American.

Jovic, coming off a huge win over Alex Eala , appeared to be a big challenge for Gauff early on: The 18-year-old picked up a break to open the game, thanks to a handful of unforced errors from Gauff.

But Gauff broke her right back in the next game, after Jovic hit the ball into the net two points in a row. Gauff then went on to win the next five games straight to take the first set 6-1, without much fight from the teenage American.

In the second set, Jovic looked more comfortable, even as Gauff repeatedly threatened to get a break. Gauff finally got the break in the fifth game, pulling Jovic all over the court and giving herself a slight edge. However, Jovic got the break in the next game to even things back up.

Gauff didn't back down, though, breaking Jovic one more time to hang on for a win. This will be the first time that Gauff has appeared in the US Open's quarterfinal since winning the championship in 2023.

Though Jovic showed some fire, the match was essentially Gauff's to lose: The No. 4 seed outplayed Jovic in most stats, and continued her streak of straight-set victories so far in this tournament. Jovic, meanwhile, had 12 unforced errors in the first set alone, ending with 30 unforced errors in total; Gauff also outscored the teenager with 18 winners to Jovic's nine, and 33 (of 59) receiving points, compared to 18 of 50 for Jovic.

The match was billed as a young superstar taking on a potential future superstar, with Jovic impressing in just her third year on the Grand Slam circuit. Gauff, though only 22, had a similar start, but has since gone on to win two Grand Slams and international stardom; some expect Jovic to do the same.

In her postmatch interview, Gauff made a point of shouting out Jovic for her performance, calling her a player who "plays beyond her years."

"I'm sure we'll be playing a lot more matches in the future," Gauff said.

Gauff, though, is the one moving on this time. She will play 19-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.