U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff started her 2024 season with a solid yet challenging victory at the Auckland Classic on Tuesday. Facing fellow American Claire Liu, Gauff emerged victorious with a 6-4, 6-2 scoreline, although not without some initial struggles.

Gauff, known for her powerful forehand, initially struggled to find her range, particularly in the first set where she overhit at times. Despite racing to a 4-0 lead, Gauff's momentum wavered as she dropped serve and then lost serve again at 5-2, before ultimately regaining composure to secure the set against Liu.

Reflecting on her performance, Gauff acknowledged the importance of being tested early in the season.

“Happy to start off the season with a win,” she said, as repored by the Associated Press. “I needed to be tested. I feel like I played well today for the first match in a while and I'm happy with my level. Obviously, there are things I can improve but I did what I needed to do to win.”

The match marked Gauff's first competitive outing since her triumphant U.S. Open final last year, where she defeated Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to claim her first major title. On Tuesday, Gauff's strategy mostly involved sticking to the baseline, contrasting with Liu's frequent and effective net approaches. As the match progressed, Gauff found her rhythm and convincingly took the second set in 35 minutes, wrapping up the match in 82 minutes.

In other matches, former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, who made a strong comeback in 2023 after a lengthy break from tennis, faced a setback with a 6-4, 6-3 loss to second-seeded Elina Svitolina. The match was intense, with five service breaks in the first set alone. Wozniacki, looking fit and displaying her signature double-handed backhand and running forehand, couldn't quite match up to Svitolina's play, who eventually served out the set and match.