Coco Gauff, the reigning US Open champion and world number four, continued her dominant run at the Australian Open by defeating fellow American Alycia Parks 6-0, 6-2 in the third round on Friday. Gauff, who is only 19 years old, has not dropped a set in the tournament so far and has extended her Grand Slam winning streak to 10 matches.
Gauff was in complete control of the match from the start, breaking Parks’ serve six times and hitting 18 winners to just nine unforced errors. Parks, who was playing in her first Grand Slam main draw, could not match Gauff’s power and consistency and only managed to win two games in the entire match.
Gauff will face Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the fourth round, who upset 14th seed Anastasia Zakharova in a three-set thriller. Gauff has never played Frech before, but said she was looking forward to the challenge.
“I’m feeling good, I’m feeling confident. I’m just taking it one match at a time and trying to enjoy the moment,” Gauff said in her post-match interview. “Frech is a tough opponent, she’s very solid and she fights hard. I have to be ready for a battle and hopefully I can play my best tennis.”
Gauff is aiming to win her second major title and become the youngest Australian Open champion in history. She has already made history by becoming the youngest US Open champion and the youngest player to reach the top five in the rankings. Gauff is also the only player to win back-to-back singles titles in Auckland, achieving the feat in 2023 and 2024.
