New year, new hair…new serve? That was the question on Saturday night as Coco Gauff, with a fiery new coif, took the court for the first time in 2026, as the U.S. began its United Cup title defense.
The answer, for one day at least, was a qualified yes. Gauff did throw in her share of double faults—including two in a row at one point during her singles win over Solana Sierra. But to my eye her motion on her first serve looked a little smoother, with a little more coordinated acceleration, than it has in the past. What matters, of course, is the end result: Gauff won her singles and doubles matches in straight sets to lead the States to a 2-1 victory over Argentina.
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Elsewhere on the second day of United Cup, Australia edged Norway, Switzerland swept France, and China came back to beat Belgium in a super-tiebreaker in the doubles. The most notable victory may have been 40-year-old Stan Wawrinka’s over France’s Arthur Rinderknech, 7-5 in a third-set tiebreaker.
I went 3-1 prediction-wise; China’s close victory was the only surprise to me. Here’s a look at what’s happening on Day 3.
