Nineteen-year-old Coco Gauff has emerged as a new force in American women’s tennis with her recent victory in the Women’s U.S. Open. In a thrilling final against Aryna Sabalenka, Gauff came from behind to win her first-ever grand slam title. This achievement makes her the youngest American, male or female, to win the U.S. Open since Serena Williams accomplished the feat at the age of 19 in 2001. Gauff’s victory also places her among the elite company of Williams and Tracy Austin as the only American teenagers to claim victory at the prestigious tournament.
However, Gauff faced a challenging battle to secure her victory. She got off to a rocky start, losing the first two games of the match. Despite this setback, she quickly turned the tide by winning the next two games. Unfortunately, a string of unforced errors and Sabalenka’s powerful shots caused Gauff to drop the next four games, resulting in losing the first set. Nevertheless, she remained composed under pressure and, with the advantage of playing on home soil in Queens, she managed to take the second set, forcing the final into a decisive third set.
Maintaining the momentum in her favor, Gauff broke Sabalenka’s serve in a thrilling opening game of the third set. Thanks to a combination of Sabalenka’s errors and Gauff’s impressive defensive play, the teen secured the game. Gauff continued to dominate, holding her serve to go up 2-0 and subsequently breaking Sabalenka’s serve to take a commanding three-game lead. She then held her own serve again, leaving little doubt as to the ultimate outcome of the match.
Despite Sabalenka’s efforts to mount a comeback, breaking Gauff’s serve to reduce the third-set deficit to 4-2, the victory was within Gauff’s reach. She broke Sabalenka for a third time, establishing a 5-2 lead and serving for the win. Gauff held her serve with ease, not allowing Sabalenka to score a single point. Overwhelmed with emotions, Gauff fell to the floor with tears in her eyes, receiving a well-deserved standing ovation from the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium. She then sought out her family in the stands and shared a heartfelt embrace with them. Gauff’s remarkable performance included winning 12 of the final 18 games played, solidifying her triumph.
Gauff’s previous best performance at the U.S. Open was reaching the quarterfinals last year, and her recent defeat at the 2022 French Open, where she lost to Iga Swiatek. Meanwhile, despite her loss in the final, Sabalenka will soon be officially named the world’s No. 1-ranked women’s player, following Swiatek’s elimination in the Round of 16. However, it is evident that Gauff has the potential to claim this prestigious title herself in the near future.