Coco Gauff tries new outlook on life as she fights back into form at US Open

• American launches title defence with 6-2, 6-0 win
• Dominic Thiem ends slam career with first-round loss

One year since the unforgettable sight of her winning a first grand slam title after years of suffocating expectations, Coco Gauff returned to the US Open with a dominant firstround win, easing past Varvara Gracheva of France 6-2, 6-0.

It was a much-needed victory for Gauff after a difficult period. Despite being one of the event favourites on her best surface at the Olympic Games, the 20-year-old endured a meek thirdround defeat on the clay of Roland Garros in Paris and then she compiled a 1-2 record between Toronto and Cincinnati.