Coco Gauff's struggles continue ahead of US Open

Defending US Open champion Coco Gauff has hit an untimely slump just a few weeks ahead of her title defense at Flushing Meadows. The World No. 2 was stunned by Russia's Yulia Putintseva in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open on Thursday, days after her third-round exit from the Canadian Open.

The back-to-back losses on the North American hardcourt events followed her controversial third-round loss at the Paris Olympics last month and a fourth-round defeat at Wimbledon.

"I feel like I have to work on consistency, overall," Gauff said of her ongoing slump, via Tennis.com. "[I will] probably to go home and try to reset. Obviously, I have a lot coming up soon with the US Open, so I think just trying to reset and be ready for that."

Speaking on the Tennis Channel, analyst Jon Wertheim wondered if Gauff's slump had more to do with her "mental approach" than her actual game. He also pointed out that Gauff had lost 16 of her last 18 points entering the US Open.

"Fortunes can change quickly in this sport, but 16 of the last 18 points [lost] is not the way to enter the only major you've won. It's concerning," he said.

Exactly a year ago, Gauff used her Cincinnati Open win as a springboard to her first-ever US Open title. This time, she has little momentum to build off of in Flushing, New York — a precursor for a potential early exit from the final major of 2024, where she enters as the No. 3 seed.

While the US Open draw has yet to be announced, Gauff enters the major with the third-shortest odds (+550) to repeat as champion, behind joint-favorites Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka (+300).

Besides Gauff, American hopes are pinned on World No. 6 Jessica Pegula and World No. 10 Danielle Collins to make some noise at the US Open. On the men's side, familiar faces such as World No. 12 Taylor Fritz and World No. 13 Tommy Paul will be in action. But all eyes will be on 21-year-old sensation Ben Shelton, who made the semifinals at Flushing last year before losing to eventual winner Novak Djokovic.

The main draw of the 2024 US Open gets underway Monday, August 26.