Coco Gauff begins her US Open title defense with an easy win after a two-match losing streak

NEW YORK (AP) — The chant rang out in cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday at the U.S. Open before Coco Gauff's first service game of her first match of her first Grand Slam tournament as a defending champion: “Here we go, Coco! Here we go!”

Coming to Flushing Meadows off a series of early exits at other events, Gauff already was down 1-0 to Varvara Gracheva, having dropped the match's initial game at love by making four groundstroke errors. What followed was a tough, tight game, featuring 14 points across eight minutes and three break chances for Gracheva.

The important part, of course, was that Gauff saved all of those break points, claimed that game, and suddenly was in complete control on the way to a 6-2, 6-0 victory that not only put the 20-year-old American in the second round but also told her — and everyone else — that her game is in better shape than it appeared lately.

“The last couple of weeks were tough, and I was like, ‘I have to do this and do that, but I don’t have to prove anything to anyone except myself.’ So ... (these) two weeks are just about proving all the expectations that I have on myself,” the No. 3-seeded Gauff said. “I have many more years coming back here and I'm not going to win every year. Just that perspective and just having the belief that I can — but not the expectation that I should.”

Day 1 at the year's last Grand Slam tournament went about as well as possible for Gauff and another young American featured in Ashe, 13th-seeded Ben Shelton, a semifinalist a year ago who beat 2020 champion Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. It was the last U.S. Open match for Thiem, who turns 31 next week and is retiring after this season.

“Obviously she plays with a lot of passion,” Shelton, 21, said about Gauff. “You could tell that she cares out there. She’s into it every time that she’s on the court. I think that’s something that the people love.”

Gauff was not the only past U.S. Open champ on Monday's schedule: The night session in Ashe began with 2017 winner Sloane Stephens blowing a huge lead against Clara Burel and losing 0-6, 7-5, 7-5 after taking the first nine games, followed by Novak Djokovic — whose collection of 24 Slam titles includes last year's in New York — getting past Radu Albot 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.

Seeded women's winners included No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time Australian Open champion who was the runner-up to Gauff a year ago in New York; No. 7 Zheng Qinwen, the women's gold medalist at the Paris Olympics earlier this month; No. 24 Donna Vekic, the silver medalist; No. 12 Daria Kasatkina; and No. 14 Madison Keys.

No. 9 Maria Sakkari stopped playing after one set because of an injured right shoulder. The highest-seeded man out of the bracket during the day session was No. 15 Holger Rune, who was eliminated by Brandon Nakashima of the U.S. 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.

Among the men's seeds advancing were No. 4 Alexander Zverev, the runner-up to Thiem four years ago; No. 6 Andrey Rublev; No. 8 Casper Ruud, the 2022 runner-up at Flushing Meadows; No. 9 Grigor Dimitrov; and No. 12 Taylor Fritz.

Zheng is enjoying a breakthrough season that began with a run to the final at the Australian Open in January and reached a peak when she claimed China's first Summer Games singles gold. Monday was difficult at the outset against 2019 French Open semifinalist Amanda Anisimova, but Zheng eventually came back to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

“Everything starts at zero. You are not anymore the Olympic champion,” Zheng said. “Just be humble and try to work, fight every single match, because if you don’t fight, you have a big chance to lose.”

That mirrors Gauff's approach as she returns to the site of her greatest triumph so far.

If she was trying to start from scratch after early exits in three events at the Paris Games — not that she wants to forget about that trip to France; Gauff wore a necklace with the Olympic rings during Monday's match — followed by a two-match skid on North American hard courts, Gauff did a good job of it.

This wasn't surprising to Gauff. Not at all. She knew she didn't play great in Toronto or Cincinnati in recent weeks. But she also could tell she was hitting balls well in practice.

“Usually that first round for me can sometimes set the tone for a tournament, whether you’re playing well or not. ... I had a good mentality. Is this going to say I’m going to play great the next couple matches? Yes or no,” Gauff said. “But I think the mentality I have going into this week will be there, and hopefully the execution stays there.”

She only needed 66 minutes to win Monday, using some of her 10 aces to help erase all eight break points Gracheva accumulated, and compiling a 16-5 edge in winners.

“From the start, we kind of all knew that Coco was going to be an amazing player, and she’s incredibly mature and carries herself in a way that I wish that I carried myself when I was her age,” said Keys, 29, who lost to Stephens in the U.S. Open final seven years ago. “It's also very impressive how she’s been able ... through all of the pressure and all of the expectation that’s been put on her, continue to do as well as she has.”

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Priscilla Hon, of Australia, returns a shot to Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, during a first round match of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, serves to Priscilla Hon, of Australia, during a first round match of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a shot to Radu Albot, of Moldova, during a first round match of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Clara Burel, of France, reacts against Sloane Stephens, of the United States, during a first round match of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Sloane Stephens, of the United States, reacts against Clara Burel, of France, during a first round match of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, reacts after defeating Radu Albot, of Moldova, during a first round match of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Brandon Nakashima, of the United States, returns a shot to Holger Rune, of Denmark, during a first round match of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Holger Rune, of Denmark, reacts against Brandon Nakashima, of the United States, during a first round match of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Ben Shelton, of the United States, reacts after defeating Dominic Thiem, of Austria, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Dominic Thiem, of Austria, is presented with a collage of photos of his play at the U.S. Open over the years after losing to Ben Shelton, of the United States, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Ben Shelton, of the United States, returns a shot to Dominic Thiem, of Austria, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Casper Ruud, of Norway, reacts after a shot to Bu Yunchaokete, of China, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Victoria Golubic, of Switzerland, reacts during a match against Paula Badosa, of Spain, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Andrey Rublev, of Russia, returns a shot to Thiago Seyboth Wild, of Brazil, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Madison Keys, of the United States, returns a shot to Katerina Siniakova, of the Czech Republic, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Coco Gauff, of the United States, returns a shot to Varvara Gracheva, of France, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Coco Gauff, of the United States, returns a shot at the net to Varvara Gracheva, of France, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Coco Gauff, of the United States, reacts after scoring a point against Varvara Gracheva, of France, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Taylor Fritz, of the United States, reacts after defeating Camilo Uno Carabelli, of Argentina, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Coco Gauff, of the United States, reacts after defeating Varvara Gracheva, of France, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Maria Sakkari, of Greece, reacts as a trainer works on her shoulder between games against Wang Yafan, of China, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Amanda Anisimova, of the United States, returns a shot to Zheng Qinwen, of China, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Maria Sakkari, of Greece, waves to fans as she walks off the court after retiring in the first set against Wang Yafan, of China, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Maria Sakkari, of Greece, reacts as a trainer works on her shoulder between games against Wang Yafan, of China, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Zheng Qinwen, of China, returns a shot to Amanda Anisimova, of the United States, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

US Open 2024: The year's last Grand Slam tennis tournament has started. Gauff is on the schedule

FILE - Philipp Kohlschreiber, of Germany, serves to John Millman, of Australia, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, Sept. 2, 2017. The 2024 U.S. Open begins Monday, Aug. 26.(AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)

US Open 2024: The year's last Grand Slam tennis tournament has started. Gauff is on the schedule

LANGLEY, British Columbia (AP) — Stephen Peat, the former Washington Capitals enforcer who fought concussion issues and was homeless at times after leaving hockey, has died from injuries sustained late last month when he was struck by a car while crossing a street. He was 44.

“The NHL Alumni Association is heartbroken to learn that Stephen Peat has passed away from his injuries after a tragic accident just over two weeks ago,” the NHL Alumni Association said in a statement Thursday announcing the death Thursday.

Without identifying Peat at the time of the Aug. 30 accident, Langley police said a 44-year-old pedestrian suffered life-threatening injuries when he was struck while crossing a road at about 4:15 a.m.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Peat had eight goals, two assists and 234 penalty minutes in 130 NHL games. He was drafted 32nd overall by Anaheim in 1998, then traded to Washington in June 2000 after finishing his junior career.

In 2004-05, he played seven games for the notorious Danbury Trashers in the United Hockey League, assisting on a goal and piling up 45 penalty minutes. He last played professional hockey in the 2006-07 season, appearing in one game for Albany in the American Hockey League.

FILE - Washington Capitals' Stephen Peat, facing camera, punches Pittsburgh Penguins' Krzysztof Oliwa of Poland as linesman Dan McCourt attempts to break it up during the first period in Pittsburgh, Dec. 21, 2001.(AP Photo/Gary Tramontina, File)

FILE - Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jay McKee (74) tries to avoid a stick-check by Washington Capitals right-winger Stephen Peat (51) as he skates up ice during the first period at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y., Sept. 17, 2005. (AP Photo/Don Heupel, File)