"Coco Gauff is not defending US Open";"Not the 2nd coming of Serena Williams the media portrays" - Fans react to American's Cincinnati Open 2R exit

Coco Gauff's hopes of a successful title defense at the 2024 Cincinnati Open were dashed by Yulia Putintseva in the second round. The American's shocking early exit at the WTA 1000 event has disappointed fans and raised concerns about her form heading into the US Open.

Gauff had an exceptional North American hardcourt swing last year, triumphing at the Citi Open, the Cincinnati Open and the US Open. However, she has failed to reach the same heights in 2024, as she will enter the New York Major with a 1-2 win/loss record at her preparatory tournaments.

Following a third-round exit at the Canadian Open, the 20-year-old entered the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati with the aim of defending her title. Taking on Yulia Putintseva in her opening match after a first-round bye, Coco Gauff got off to a slow start and lost the opening set. However, she bounced back strongly to take the second set and force a decider.

Although the American held a 4-2 lead in the third set, she lost 16 of the next 18 points, which allowed Putintseva to claim a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory. The 20-year-old's defeat was compounded by her recording over 50 unforced errors, including nine double faults.

Consequently, Gauff is set to lose the World No. 2 ranking in the next update on Monday, August 19. Aryna Sabalenka will replace the American and enter the US Open as the second seed behind Iga Swiatek.

Tennis fans aired their frustration with Coco Gauff's level after her disappointing loss, dismissing the media narrative of her being the "second coming" of Serena Williams.

"SABALENKA made GAUFF a Grand Slam winner, that US Open was there for SABALENKA to win. GAUFF is not the 2nd coming of Serena as the media portrays," one fan commented.

"Coco is so bad I don't want to see any comparison with the Williams sisters EVER AGAIN," said another.

"And people called me crazy for calling coco a fraud and that her us open was a lucky run," another fan chimed in.

"Worst grand slam winner of all time - once she loses all her points from the hard court swing she'll be back to where she belongs outside the top 5," stated yet another.

Fans also raised concerns about the 20-year-old's poor run of form, with several of them doubting her ability to defend her US Open title.

"Coco Gauff isn’t defending that US Open Championship," one fan posted.

"Coco is going to have a quick US Open if she doesn’t figure it out," another fan wrote.

Others, meanwhile, urged Gauff to reconsider her partnership with coach Brad Gilbert, suggesting that she would do better with a new set of eyes who could "fix" her forehand.

"I think Coco Gauff will and should fire her coach if she doesn’t win the US Open again. I have seen no improvement since last year… for someone with her drive and natural talent they should have fixed the forehand and by now. Same with the mental health," one fan commented.

"If the US Open weren’t a couple weeks away, I’d say Coco Gauff would fire BG. So…I’m thinking a lot will hinge on that showing given how everything has gone lately," another fan suggested.

"The Brad experience is over at this point. She needs to find someone who can help her fix her forehand and get her confidence back up," said yet another.

"Coco Gauff hit two double faults... the game changed immediately" - Yulia Putintseva after 'roller coaster' Cincinnati Open 2R clash

Coco Gauff (Source: Getty)

Speaking to the media after her win, Yulia Putintseva took satisfaction in her performance against Coco Gauff in their "roller coaster" matchup, admitting that she capitalized on the American's unforced errors to change the momentum of the contest.

The Kazakh also emphasized the need to stay focused in the match on the fast hard-courts, highlighting how quickly the game could change.

"The whole match was a roller coaster. At this point, I was thinking I broke her a couple of times and it was not something special to break someone again. She [Coco Gauff] hit two double faults, and I hit two good returns. She mishit it, the game changed immediately," she said.

"On these kind of courts, you have to stay really focused, because the game can change quickly," she added.

Following her win over Coco Gauff, Yulia Putintseva will take on Paula Badosa in the third round of the Cincinnati. Badosa claimed a dominant 6-3, 6-2 win over 13th seed Anna Kalinskaya to set up a battle against Putintseva for a spot in the quarterfinals.