World No. 6 Coco Gauff won the US Open on Saturday, beating Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the final to claim her first Grand Slam title at the age of 19.
Coco Gauff, ranked 6th in the WTA, emerged as the champion at the US Open tennis tournament in New York on Saturday. The 19-year-old American achieved her maiden Grand Slam title on her home turf by defeating Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who holds the No. 2 world ranking. Gauff secured the victory in a thrilling three-set match that lasted 2 hours and 6 minutes, with the final scores being 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
In the early stages of the first set, Aryna Sabalenka displayed dominance over her opponent by breaking Gauff’s serve three times, while Gauff managed to break Sabalenka’s serve once. However, Gauff, playing in front of her home crowd, mounted a comeback in the second set. She faced and successfully fended off two break points during her initial service game, eventually gaining a critical advantage at 3-1. Gauff went on to secure a break point, ultimately winning the set and shifting the momentum of the match in her favor.
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Buoyed by the support of the enthusiastic crowd, Coco Gauff went on to claim the first four games of the decisive set. Although Aryna Sabalenka briefly appeared to regain her composure, her resurgence was short-lived, as Gauff maintained her composure and determination to secure the victory. This triumphant moment left Gauff visibly moved by her achievement.
The moment you become a Grand Slam champion. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/AsQwN1eXl4
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2023
In a remarkable achievement, Coco Gauff, who was already a finalist at Roland Garros in 2022, has now become the youngest American to win the US Open since Serena Williams accomplished the feat back in 1999. This victory adds to her collection of five WTA Tour titles and stands as the most prestigious trophy of her career. As a result of this triumph, she is set to ascend to the top-3 in the WTA rankings for the first time when the rankings are updated on Monday.
Despite her loss in the US Open final, Aryna Sabalenka is poised to claim the world number-one ranking at the conclusion of the tournament, thanks to her dominant performance that included a victory over her Polish rival, Iga Swiatek, in the quarter-finals.
Additionally, Coco Gauff also participated in the doubles draw alongside her compatriot Jessica Pegula in the 2023 edition but was eliminated in the quarter-finals.