Nick Kyrgios has stepped up to offer his mentorship to Coco Gauff following her unexpected exit from the US Open, where she bowed out in the fourth round while trying to defend her title. The young American tennis sensation couldn’t replicate the outstanding performance of the preceding year, falling short against fellow countrywoman Emma Navarro.

The match saw Gauff’s hopes for a consecutive US Open win dashed as Navarro clinched the crucial sets with scores of 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, thereby securing her place in the quarter-finals against Spain’s Paula Badosa.

It proved to be a day Gauff would rather forget, marred by 19 double faults, 11 of which occurred during the deciding third set and peppered with 60 unforced errors against a meagre tally of 14 winners.

Despite the disappointing show, Gauff did stage a comeback by snagging the second set after succumbing to defeat in the first. Yet Navarro capitalised on every slip-up in what can only be described as an off-performance at Flushing Meadows, demolishing Gauffs aspiration of defending her title.

Reflecting on the loss, the downhearted 20-year-old confessed that Navarro was the rightful victor on the day, stating: “Mentally and emotionally, I gave it my all. But there’s things execution-wise, where obviously I wish I could serve better. I think if I would have (done) that it would have been a different story for me in the match.

“But Emma played really well. She did everything well, I thought. She was really aggressive on my second serves, and putting more pressure on my serve, and being solid from the baseline. I expected that going in. Emotionally I have no regrets, but obviously I wish I could execute things better.”

In the wake of Gauff’s defeat, Kyrgios seemed ready to step into the coaching ring as he extended an offer via social media, succinctly stating: “I’d coach her.”

Their mutual admiration is evident away from the court, with Gauff once jumping to Kyrgios’ defence following his infamous behaviour at the 2022 US Open, which resulted in fines for spitting and swearing.

Reflecting on that incident two years prior, Gauff expressed: “I know there’s things on the court that he does that people don’t agree with. I probably don’t agree with some things. Overall I think he’s a nice person. At least he’s always been to me. I remember I first hit with him, he probably doesn’t remember this, I was 13 years old at Miami Open. He finished his practice, hit with me for, like, 30 minutes.

“It’s just things like that that stands out for me. That’s why I feel like I can never dislike him. It’s just moments like that that people don’t really see about him. So I think people paint him as a bad guy. I feel around the grounds, at least my experience of him, he’s not.

“I think in the end it helped me in the long run as a player hitting with him. He told me good things about my game. At that time I’m like, ‘Nick Kyrgios thinks I’m a good player.’ You start to believe that and gain confidence in that.”

Rennae Stubbs, former coach of tennis icon Serena Williams, expressed concern over the American’s performance on home ground this summer. She questioned: “Where is Coco’s confidence? There’s no second serve, that’s the sign. And that’s a problem.

“So under pressure, bad technique breaks down and her technique is…hard for me to say because Brad [Gilbert] is sitting here…but her technique, the elbow, is too low, the grip is a little weird as well. So it’s hard for her to get that nice first serve and then the same or similar second serve.”