Coco Gauff remains one of the leading American hopes at this year’s US Open, and the former champion has spoken about the expectations surrounding her in New York.

Gauff, who won the tournament in 2023, is one of five American women still in the draw at Flushing Meadows. As the second-highest ranked American woman on the WTA Tour, sitting just behind Jessica Pegula, she enters the Grand Slam with considerable attention on her results.

After beating Cristina Busca in straight sets in the third round, Gauff was asked in her post-match press conference whether the pressure she faces is similar to Alex Eala’s. Eala has drawn major support throughout the event, with the Filipino community turning out in large numbers for her matches.

Gauff said she does not see the two situations as comparable.

“I can’t empathise at all, because she’s, like, the first Filipino player to break a lot of the barriers that she’s done, especially, like, on the female side,” said Gauff.

She continued: “And when you speak of athletes from the Philippines, I mean, she’s doing similar things to what Manny Pacquiao was doing for her country.

“I’m lucky to be from the U.S., where we had a lot of icons to look up to and people who’ve already broken down doors for me to be here where I am, so I can’t really empathise on that aspect.

“I think the only way I can is maybe just, like, the hype of everybody expecting you to win every single match. I guess I can empathise on that standpoint, but I definitely think she probably has more pressure or, well, I don’t know, from the outside looking in, has more pressure.

Gauff also spoke warmly about her friendship with Eala, noting that the two have often partnered in doubles over the years.

“As far as our relationship, Alex and I are friends,” continued Gauff. “Her family just reminds me so much of mine. Like, she has a brother, and both her parents are usually with her at tournaments, and she’s just such a cool, like, nice girl, and someone I would like to get to know even more.

“We just went for dinner for the first time, actually, in Toronto, and I got to know her a little bit more. Then, and obviously, we played doubles together. But I have a lot of respect for her from what she’s doing. But yeah, I can’t really empathise. I feel like she has more pressure than I do.”

The pair have met twice on the WTA Tour, with one win each. Gauff beat Eala at the Abu Dhabi Open earlier this year, while Eala responded a month later with victory at Indian Wells.

Former world No. 3 Ivan Ljubicic has stepped into the growing dispute around tennis scheduling, arguing that the sport is facing criticism no matter what it does.

The debate has intensified in 2026 as players continue to speak out about a tour that many feel has become too physical and too long. That has fed renewed demands for calendar reform, while injuries to Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper have also sharpened concerns over the demands placed on the game’s leading figures. Questions around the quality of tennis balls have been part of that wider discussion.

At the US Open, late-night finishes have drawn particular attention. Venus Williams did not begin her first-round match until after midnight, while Alexander Zverev has had back-to-back finishes in the early hours of the morning. Greg Rusedski has also called for weed to be banned from Flushing Meadows after Aryna Sabalenka’s latest complaints.

Against that backdrop, former British player Mark Petchey argued that the sport’s wider momentum should not be ignored, saying tennis is “ exploding in popularity” and that more should be done to celebrate the “hardest sport in the world”.

Ljubicic, who was Roger Federer’s former coach, responded after Christopher Clarey highlighted a run of late finishes at the US Open. He tweeted, “THREE nights past 2 a.m., not the kind of record you want to be setting. Is there not a much better way for the health and well-being of everyone involved in the tournament?”

He later added, “Well we have @rolandgarros scheduling one night session match – controversial? @Wimbledon with 11pm curfew… Controversial?… Seems like whatever our sport does is controversial…”

The response to Clarey’s post was mixed, but many agreed with Ljubicic’s view. Whether the tournament makes changes now or later remains unclear, yet the issue has again placed tennis under scrutiny at one of its biggest events.

Aryna Sabalenka’s latest US Open match was briefly interrupted when the world No 1 raised concerns with the umpire about a strong smell she believed was drifting across Louis Armstrong Stadium during her match against Kamilla Rakhimova.

“Would you mind to (tell them to deal with it) because it’s so strong?,” she asked during the match.

The issue was not fully resolved on court, and the smell complaints have become one of the recurring talking points of the tournament. Sabalenka returned to the subject after the match and made her position clear in press conference remarks.

“You can do what you want, smoke what you want, relax as much as you want, but please don’t do it near the tennis courts,” said the two-time US Open champion.

“It’s a bit embarrassing to have to put up with that smell when you’re trying to give your best. I don’t know if it was coming from the stands or from outside, because the wind was blowing it into the stadium.”

Sabalenka was not alone in questioning the conditions. Adrian Mannarino also pointed to the same issue after his defeat to Alexander Bublik, saying the atmosphere around court seven had become difficult to ignore.

Speaking after his exit, to Eurosport France, Mannarino said: “Now people are allowed to move around in the crowd during points. Before, they were not allowed in the court except during changeovers. Now they come in whenever they feel like it; they move around and talk.

“The tournament puts up with it, and I don’t know if it’s the best thing for tennis in general. There’s a smell of marijuana on the court, noise everywhere; the truth is it’s turning into a bit of a zoo. The playing conditions are really peculiar.”

The tournament has already faced criticism on other fronts this year, including high ticket prices and the growing presence of influencers around matches. Umpires have asked influencers to quiet down during play, and several players, including Naomi Osaka, have questioned the shift in etiquette.

“I think obviously if you come to a sporting event, you have to respect the sport,” said Osaka after her second round victory against Katerina Siniakova. “I feel like it’s common courtesy to read up on the sport, especially the etiquette.”

For a tournament of this stature, the conversation has again drifted away from results and toward the environment surrounding the action.