Coco Gauff is carrying a renewed sense of confidence into the 2026 U.S. Open, where the 22-year-old American is competing in New York with a different approach to both tennis and the atmosphere surrounding her. The 2023 champion opened her campaign Tuesday with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez at Arthur Ashe Stadium, setting up a second-round meeting with Spain’s Paula Badosa.

In a new Billboard feature published Sept. 3, Gauff discussed the role music plays in her preparation and how New York’s energy affects her during the tournament. The city has long been associated with her U.S. Open story, and her pre-match routine includes listening to music to help create the mindset she wants before stepping onto the court.

Gauff has also been embracing the intensity surrounding her return to Flushing Meadows. After a difficult 2025 U.S. Open, where she lost in the fourth round to Naomi Osaka, she entered this year’s tournament having made significant changes to her serve and preparation. She has credited her work with coaches Jean-Christophe Faurel and Gavin MacMillan, as well as journaling and support from her family, with helping her move forward from the struggles she experienced last season.

The changes have produced stronger results during the summer. Gauff won the Cincinnati Open in August, defeating Jessica Pegula in the final, after reaching the semifinals in Toronto and Wimbledon earlier in the season. Her Cincinnati title was her first of 2026 and gave her additional momentum heading into the U.S. Open.

That momentum was visible in her opening-round performance against Sonmez. Gauff controlled the match for long stretches and closed out the contest in straight sets, although Sonmez produced stretches of aggressive shot-making that tested the American. Gauff’s improved serve was again a central part of her game, continuing a technical adjustment that has been one of the major developments in her recent form.

Her second-round opponent, Badosa, presents a considerably more difficult challenge. The Spaniard defeated Daria Kasatkina in the first round and holds a 5-3 career advantage over Gauff. Badosa has returned to the U.S. Open after missing last year’s tournament because of injury and enters the matchup after reporting that she is healthy and prepared for the hard-court season.

Gauff arrived in New York among the players considered capable of challenging for the title. Reuters reported before the tournament that her recent Cincinnati victory and improved serving had strengthened her position in a women’s draw featuring uncertainty around several leading contenders.

The current U.S. Open campaign also continues a relationship between Gauff and music that has become part of her public identity. The WTA previously documented her use of playlists and music as part of the emotional atmosphere around her 2023 championship run, when she captured her first Grand Slam singles title in New York.

Now, three years after that breakthrough, Gauff is back at the same tournament with another title campaign underway and a new perspective on the pressure surrounding her. As she described her current state in the Billboard feature, she feels like “a new person,” reflecting the changes she has made since last year’s difficult U.S. Open exit.

As of Sept. 3, Gauff remains alive in the women’s singles draw and is scheduled to face Badosa in the second round as she continues her bid for a second U.S. Open championship.