Coco Gauff had a little difficulty adjusting to the sun at one end of Rod Laver Arena and dropped an early service game but quickly settled into a rhythm to start her Australian Open with a 6-3, 6-3 win Monday over 2020 champion Sofia Kenin.

Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek used their first-round victories at the Australian Open to send messages of support to California amid the devastating wildfires. American Gauff wrote ‘Stay strong LA. Thank you firefighters’ on the camera lens after her 6-3 6-3 victory over Sofia Kenin, while Swiatek put ‘Sending my love to Malibu and LA’.

Coco Gauff of the U.S. plays a backhand return to Sofia Kenin of the U.S. during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) MELBOURNE,