Coco Gauff is facing a huge rankings drop as worrying slump in form continues

US Open champion Coco Gauff is about to enter the most significant phase of her season and she has to be concerned by her form.

Gauff was upset 6-4, 6-1 by fellow 20-year-old Diana in the WTA 1000 event in Toronto, with her worrying slump in form showing no sign of ending.

It was the first win against a top ten opponent for Shnaider and she is through to her first quarter-final at a WTA 1000 event.

The news for Gauff is not so positive as since reaching the semi-finals and losing to eventual champion Iga Swiatek at the French Open in June, Gauff has slipped to a series of disappointing defeats.

She was beaten by fellow American Emma Navaro in a shock last-16 defeat at Wimbledon and then lost against Donna Vekic in another surprise result at the Olympics.

Gauff would have been hoping a return to her favourite North American hard courts would have fired her back into winning form, but the defeat against Shnaider continued an alarming slide in fortunes.

Now she is preparing to defend her Cincinnati and US Open titles in her next two events, with the 3,000 ranking points she won in those two events on the line.

Gauff will slip back down to No 3 in the WTA Rankings if Aryna Sabalenka continues to make progress in Toronto, but her rankings decline could be even more acute unless she finds a way to start winning matches.

Early defeats in Cincinnati and at the US Open in New York could see Gauff drop out of the top five of the WTA Rankings after the final major of 2024 and her fall may be even bigger if some of her top ten rivals make strong progress in the next two tournaments.

Gauff seems less concerned by her form than some of her doubters and after being named as one of Team USA’s flag bearers for the Paris Olympics, she admitted the decision to return from France and play in Toronto may have been a mistake.