Coco Gauff on US Open exit, disappointing summer: "I know I can turn it around"

Coco Gauff says she’s keeping her disappointing summer in perspective, after her US Open title defense came to an abrupt end at the hands of Emma Navarro on Sunday.

Last year, the 20-year-old arrived in New York City high on confidence and with plenty of momentum after her breakthrough performances on North American hard courts, culminating in her first major title on home soil. But this weekend, Gauff was left searching for answers after recording a fourth-round exit at a second consecutive Grand Slam at the hands of Navarro.

Read More: How Coco Gauff’s serve let her down, and Emma Navarro’s calm served her well, at the US Open

“She played me similar to how she played me at Wimbledon,” Gauff said after their rematch. “The difference in Wimbledon and today, I think I was just mentally better, so that's why I got to the third set…

“She's a great returner, she does a great job with just redirecting. She's kind of an all-court player. She can do everything.”

Afterward, Gauff had plenty of praise for opponent and Olympic Games teammate Navarro, as she reflected on her whirlwind summer in her post-match press conference:

Q. Can you compare the really good results generally that you had in Australia and first half of the season, and then to Paris and to this summer… What has it been like to experience going through it?

COCO GAUFF: I guess for me, yeah, it's not the summer that I want. I feel like there's 70 other players in the draw that would love to have the summer that I had, even though it's… probably the (worst I’ve) done during this time of the year.

So many people want to be in the fourth round. So many people want to make the Olympics. So many people want to be flag bearer. It's perspective.

Obviously because I'm wanting to reach a different level, it is disappointing, but I'm not going to beat myself up and be, like, this was so bad.

Yeah, I expect better, but at the end of the day it happened, and I know I can turn it around.

Gauff claimed her first back-to-back match wins of the North American hardcourt swing at the US Open against Varvara Gracheva and Tatjana Maria. But she never quite found her footing in Queens, fighting back from a set down against No. 27 seed Elina Svitolina 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 but unable to complete the turnaround against Navarro on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Read More: Outfit of the Day: Coco Gauff holds court in new US Open kit & New Balance CG2 shoes

Gauff described that her long-term goal will be to address mechanical and technical flaws in her game that have cost her matches—case in point, the No. 3 seed struck 60 unforced errors and 19 double faults on Sunday against Navarro. With the post-US Open swing in Asia and qualifying for the WTA Finals being her next big targets, Gauff also has plans to get 'a good training block' in at the end of the season.

“Mentally I gave it and emotionally I gave it my all,” Gauff reflected. “Of course, there were things execution-wise… like, obviously I wish I could serve better. I think if I would have did that, it would have been a different story for me in the match.”

Navarro, the No.13 seed, will take on No. 26 seed Paula Badosa in the next round.