“This is unbelievable,” Coco Gauff said with raw emotion after lifting the Cincinnati Open crown in 2023, her voice echoing the struggles and triumphs of a turbulent European summer. That victory made her the first teenager since 17-year-old Linda Tuero in 1968 to capture a WTA 1000 title at this event, a moment etched in history. Fast forward to this year, and the stage was set once again, with Paris joy and Wimbledon heartbreak fueling the fire of expectation ahead of the US Open. Yet destiny had other plans. Under Cincinnati’s lights, Italian warrior Jasmine Paolini shattered the script, dismissing Gauff and making her feelings clear to the American crowd.

The serving struggles that have shadowed Coco Gauff resurfaced Friday night in Cincinnati, ultimately costing her a place

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