Gauff Faces Sonmez at US Open with New Serve
Listen to the story
Coco Gauff has returned to the US Open for the 2026 tournament.
On Day 3, she will play a match against Sonmez, and experts have given their prediction for the result.
The US Open is one of tennis's biggest tournaments, held every year in the United States.
This is the place where Gauff once made important tennis vows, promises to herself about her career.
Those vows are now said to be propelling her forward, meaning they are pushing her career in a good direction.
Ahead of this year's tournament, Gauff has spoken about a revamped serve, a part of her game that has been changed and improved.
A serve is the shot a player uses to start each point in tennis, and it can be a key weapon for top players.
Gauff said the new serve 'feels good,' showing she is happy with the change.
She also said this improved serve is fueling her confidence as she heads into the tournament.
Confidence is important for athletes, since believing in your own ability can affect how well you play.
Many fans and experts will be watching closely to see if her stronger serve helps her beat Sonmez.
The match on Day 3 will be an early test of whether these changes are working in real competition.
Vocabulary10 words
- tournament
- a big sports event with many matches
- prediction
- a guess made by experts about a result
- vows
- strong personal promises about future goals
- propelling
- pushing something forward with force
- revamped
- changed and made better than before
- serve
- the shot that starts a point in tennis
- fueling
- giving more energy or power to something
- confidence
- a strong belief in your own ability
- US Open
- a major tennis tournament held in the US
- athletes
- people who compete in sports
Quiz
Answer key
1. The US Open 2. Her serve 3. Her revamped serve
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Coco Gauff has returned to the _____ for the 2026 tournament.
On Day 3, she will play a match against _____, and experts have given their prediction for the result.
This is the place where Gauff once made important tennis _____, promises to herself about her career.
Those vows are now said to be _____ her forward, meaning they are pushing her career in a good direction.
Ahead of this year's tournament, Gauff has spoken about a _____ serve, a part of her game that has been changed and improved.
Gauff said the new serve '_____ good,' showing she is happy with the change.
She also said this improved serve is fueling her _____ as she heads into the tournament.
Confidence is important for _____, since believing in your own ability can affect how well you play.
Many fans and experts will be watching closely to see if her stronger serve helps her beat _____.