Coco Gauff begins quest for back-to-back Grand Slam titles at Australian Open with 6-3 6-0 first-round victory over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova

Reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff is back to her winning ways in 2024.

She began her quest for back-to-back Grand Slam singles titles with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova at the Australian Open on Monday.

The 19-year-old American, who won her first major at the U.S. Open in September, wrapped up victory in exactly one hour.

‘I was a little nervous the first set,’ fourth-seeded Gauff said. ‘I think I did well returning, then I found my serve toward the end [of the set]. When I was nervous at 3-3, I told myself: ‘I feel good, I look good, so just have fun’. That was able to relax me a little bit’.’

Earlier, there was a surprising defeat for Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova as she was beaten 6-1, 6-2 by Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine.

Seventh-seeded Vondrousova missed the Adelaide tune-up event with a hip injury and struggled on serve throughout, hitting seven double faults as she was well-beaten by the world No. 93-ranked player.

In other early play, 19th-seeded Elina Svitolina, advanced to the second round, beating Taylah Preston, a wild-card entry from Australia, 6-2, 6-2.

Four-time major winner Naomi Osaka later makes her much-anticipated comeback to Grand Slam tennis after the birth of her daughter. The Japanese player takes on Caroline Garcia of France in the first round in the last match on Rod Laver Arena.

Gauff made some other news this weekend by criticizing a social media post by the US Tennis Association.

Ahead of the Australian Open, the USTA shared a poster in the style of ”The Wild Thornberrys.’

In a post that has since been deleted, the USTA shared artwork drawing their athletes in the style of cartoon television show ‘The Wild Thornberrys.’

The decision quickly backfired as their biggest star openly expressed her displeasure at how she and her fellow representatives were portrayed.

‘Worst thing I’ve ever seen,’ Gauff wrote on an Instagram story on Sunday. ‘Like a caricatures artist just decided to make us all look like hideous looking people.

‘The art style is cool for a cartoon show but not for a hype post. foul.’