Coco Gauff Faces Tough Loss at Cincinnati Open

American tennis player Coco Gauff faced an unexpected defeat at the Cincinnati Open, impacting her preparations for the upcoming U.S. Open. Gauff, who has been struggling with consistency, aims to reset and improve her performance after a series of disappointing losses.

Coco Gauff's bid to defend her title at the Cincinnati Open ended abruptly with a shocking first-round loss. The 20-year-old Floridian was defeated 6-4 2-6 6-4 by Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva, ranked 34th in the world, despite entering the tournament hoping to reverse a recent slump.

The defeat has complicated Gauff's preparations for the U.S. Open, where she aims to reclaim her trophy. "Consistency is something I need to work on overall," Gauff said, reflecting on her performance, which included 50 unforced errors and nine double faults.

Gauff plans to return home to reset and prepare for the U.S. Open. "I made a lot of errors, especially when I was 4-2 up in the third set," she admitted. Gauff was among several high-profile players who were ousted early in the tournament.

(With inputs from agencies.)