Coco Gauff’s return to form at the 2025 National Bank Open in Montreal delivered a tennis thriller, yet it was also one of the most frustrating matches of her season.

Facing Danielle Collins in the tournament’s second round, Gauff, who has been off the radar since a surprising first-round exit at Wimbledon, survived by the slimmest of margins, showing grit despite a serve that betrayed her.

From the outset, the match was filled with wild momentum shifts. Gauff claimed the first set 7‑5, but Collins, who comedically forgot a rule during Wimbledon, roared back to level the match with a 6‑4 second set.

Ultimately, it came down to a decider, and nearly to a match point loss, with Gauff scraping through 7‑6 (2) after almost three hours on court. She needed a clutch tiebreak to pull it off, recovering from being just two points away from elimination.

Even more remarkable than the tight scoreline was Gauff’s performance under pressure: she committed 23 double faults — the fifth-highest tally ever recorded in a WTA Tour match — and piled up 74 unforced errors. Collins herself wasn’t flawless, with 13 double faults, but still pressed Gauff to the brink. 

Reflecting on the match, Gauff was candid about her performance. “It was a frustrating match for me,” she admitted. “I felt like I was practicing well, and then I don’t think I transferred it today. Hopefully I got my bad match of the tournament out of the way, and I could come back stronger the next round.”

She pointed out that despite her serving woes, her ground game remained solid. “I thought that I was playing well except that part of my game,” Gauff said.

Still, Gauff had praise for Collins, her first meeting against a fellow American with a reputation for intensity. “This is my first time playing Danielle [Collins]. She’s obviously a tough competitor, a great tennis player, a great person. I got to know her very well at the United Cup. She’s always nice to me. So, yeah, it was a tough battle out there.”

Her verdict captured both respect and relief: “Danielle is a great ball striker, and for me to break her as many times as I did, there’s definitely some positives to take from today.”

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The only stat more remarkable than the number of double faults: the final point was an ace — Gauff ending a fraught match with a weapon she’d rarely landed till that moment.

Now World No. 2 and carrying the top seed in Montreal with Aryna Sabalenka’s withdrawal, Gauff advances to face Veronika Kudermetova in the third round.

Their relationship is not new: Gauff holds a 2–1 career lead over the former world No. 9. Given her shaky outing, Gauff says she has “plenty left in the tank” and hopes this match was her only stumble at the tournament.