Coco Gauff's hopes of launching another deep run at a Grand Slam ended in the first round at the US Open on Monday, with the US teenager succumbing in three sets to Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova.
Gauff, who created a sensation at Wimbledon last year when she became the youngest player in the tournament's history to qualify for the main draw before reaching the fourth round, was beaten 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
The 16-year-old former junior world No 1 from Delray Beach had battled back to level the match against the 31st-seeded Sevastova after dropping the first set.
But after squaring the match by taking the final three games of the second set to win it 7-5, Gauff was soon scrambling to save the match in the third set.
Although Gauff saved three match points, Sevastova eventually closed out the win, converting her fourth match point.
It was a disappointing exit for Gauff, who backed up her fairy tale Wimbledon campaign last year by reaching the third round at the US Open before another decent showing at the Australian Open in January, where she exited in the fourth round.
Gauff, a fan favourite at previous Grand Slam appearances, said afterwards she did not think the absence of spectators in New York had hampered her performance.
"I think I compete just as hard with fans or not," she said. "I could have played better today. Just going to get back to work and get ready for the French Open."
However the teenager acknowledged that limited playing opportunities in 2020 due to a tennis calendar upended by Covid-19, had impacted her development.
"The main part that hurt was just getting matches under my belt, getting experience," Gauff said when asked to assess the impact of the coronavirus disruption.
"That's what I need on tour. I'm playing against people older than me who have been in more situations, difficult situations, than I have. I think the biggest thing is I just need experience.
"Right now my plan is just to play as many tournaments as I can, to get matches under my belt. I'm still in doubles here, so I'll be here hopefully till the end. That's the goal."
Gauff's long-term ambitions also include winning qualification to play at next year's Tokyo Olympics.
"Definitely a goal of mine to qualify," Gauff said. "Right now I'm just focused on the match ahead, just focusing on the moment now. But obviously that's a goal, to qualify for the Olympics next year."
Results from opening day of US Open tennis championship in New York on Monday (x-denotes seed):
Men's singles
First round
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-1, 6-4, 6-1
Kyle Edmund (GBR) bt Alexander Bublik (KAZ) 2-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-0
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER x28) bt Pedro Martinez (ESP) 6-0, 7-5, 6-4
Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP x20) bt Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN) 4-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3
Mitchell Krueger (USA) bt Pedro Sousa (POR) 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-3
Ricardas Berankis (LTU) bt Federico Gaio (ITA) 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Steve Johnson (USA) bt John Isner (USA x16) 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/3)
Denis Shapovalov (CAN x12) bt Sebastian Korda (USA) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Soonwoo Kwon (KOR) bt Thai-Son Kwiatkowski (USA) 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1, 6-2
Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Mohamed Safwat (EGY) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4
Taylor Fritz (USA x19) bt Dominik Koepfer (GER) 6-7 (7/9), 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
Filip Krajinovic (SRB x26) bt Mikael Ymer (SWE) 6-2, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3
Marcos Giron (USA) bt Marc Polmans (AUS) 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
Lloyd Harris (RSA) bt Marco Cecchinato (ITA) 6-4, 7-5, 6-2
David Goffin (BEL x7) bt Reilly Opelka (USA) 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x4) bt Albert Ramos (ESP) 6-2, 6-1, 6-1
Maxime Cressy (USA) bt Jozef Kovalik (SVK) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
Juan Ignacio Londero (ARG) bt Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) 6-3, 6-3, 7-5
Borna Coric (CRO x27) bt Pablo Andújar (ESP) 7-5, 6-3, 6-1
Egor Gerasimov (BLR) bt Dusan Lajovic (SRB x18) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Jordan Thompson (AUS) bt Stefano Travaglia (ITA) 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) bt Attila Balazs (HUN) 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
Christian Garín (CHI x13) bt Ulises Blanch (USA) 4-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
Cameron Norrie (GBR) bt Diego Schwartzman (ARG x9) 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 7-5
Federico Coria (ARG) bt Jason Jung (TPE) 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 2-0 abandon
Alejandro Davidovich (ESP) bt Dennis Novak (AUT) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-0
Hubert Hurkacz (POL x24) bt Peter Gojowczyk (GER) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Adrian Mannarino (FRA x32) bt Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) 6-1, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
Jack Sock (USA) bt Pablo Cuevas (URU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2)
Brandon Nakashima (USA) bt Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3)
Alexander Zverev (GER x5) bt Kevin Anderson (RSA) 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-3, 7-5
Women's singles
First round
Karolina Pliskova (CZE x1) bt Anhelina Kalinina (UKR) 6-4, 6-0
Caroline Garcia (FRA) bt Jasmine Paolini (ITA) 6-3, 6-2
Catherine Bellis (USA) bt Tamara Korpatsch (GER) 6-7 (13/15), 6-3, 6-2
Jennifer Brady (USA x28) bt Anna Blinkova (RUS) 6-3, 6-2
Angelique Kerber (GER x17) bt Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 6-4, 6-4
Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) bt Caroline Dolehide (USA) 6-2, 6-2
Ann Li (USA) bt Arantxa Rus (NED) 6-4, 2-6, 6-1
Alison Riske (USA x13) bt Tatjana Maria (GER) 6-3, 6-2
Marketa Vondrousova (CZE x12) bt Greet Minnen (BEL) 6-1, 6-4
Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) bt Francesca Di Lorenzo (USA) 2-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-0
Vera Lapko (BLR) bt Viktorija Golubic (SUI) 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ x23) bt Robin Montgomery (USA) 6-1, 6-3
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA x30) bt Hailey Baptiste (USA) 7-5, 6-2
Varvara Gracheva (RUS) bt Paula Badosa (ESP) 6-4, 7-5
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) bt Alexandra Kiick (USA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
Petra Martic (CRO x8) bt Tereza Martincova (CZE) 5-7, 6-2, 6-4
Naomi Osaka (JPN x4) bt Misaki Doi (JPN) 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
Camila Giorgi (ITA) bt Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) 2-6, 6-1, 7-5
Marta Kostyuk (UKR) bt Darya Kasatkina (RUS) 6-1, 6-2
Anastasija Sevastova (LAT x31) bt Cori Gauff (USA) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4
Magda Linette (POL x24) bt Maddison Inglis (AUS) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
Danka Kovinic (MNE) bt Lizette Cabrera (AUS) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Kaja Juvan (SLO) bt Usue Arconada (USA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/2)
Anett Kontaveit (EST x14) bt Danielle Collins (USA) 5-7, 6-2, 6-2
Elena Rybakina (KAZ x11) bt Katarina Zavatska (UKR) 6-3, 6-0
Shelby Rogers (USA) bt Irina Khromacheva (RUS) 6-2, 6-2
Madison Brengle (USA) bt Arina Rodionova (AUS) 6-2, 6-2
Dayana Yastremska (UKR x19) bt Astra Sharma (AUS) 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2)
Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) bt Rebecca Peterson (SWE x32) 7-6 (7/1), 6-4
Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) bt Whitney Osuigwe (USA) 6-3, 7-5
Petra Kvitova (CZE x6) bt Irina Begu (ROU) 6-3, 6-2