Trending

US Open: Coco Gauff wins women’s singles title

Champion: Coco Gauff reacts after winning the women's singles title at the U.S. Open, her first Grand Slam championship. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
(Al Bello/Getty Images)

NEW YORK — Coco Gauff earned her first major tennis title on Saturday, overcoming a first-set deficit to defeat second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the women’s final of the U.S. Open.

>> Read more trending news

Gauff, 19, from Delray Beach, Florida, broke Sabalenka three times in the final set to earn her first Grand Slam title. Ranked sixth in the women’s world rankings, Gauff will rise to No. 3 when the new rankings are released on Monday. She has six career titles on the WTA circuit, but her fourth victory this year is the biggest of her career.

“I feel like I’m a little bit in shock right now,” Gauff said as she accepted the championship trophy from former champion Billie Jean King and a $3 million check.

Gauff also thanked those who doubted she could win one of tennis’ marquee events.

“For those who thought you were putting water on my fire, you put gas in my fire,” Gauff said.

The last time a U.S. woman won the women’s singles title at the U.S. Open was in 2017, when Sloane Stephens defeated Madison Keys in an all-American final. Gauff is the first teen to win the U.S. Open since Serena Williams captured the event in 1999.

Americans have won the U.S. Open 93 times, including 26 times since the beginning of the Open era in 1968.

Sabalenka, 25, of Belarus, will ascend to the top of the women’s rankings when they are released on Monday, but she was no match for Gauff on Saturday. She won the final four games of the first set, but Gauff broke her in the fourth game of the second set to take a 3-1 lead. Sabalenka battled back and trailed 5-3 in the second set, but Gauff held serve to even the match at one set apiece.

Gauff displayed some sharp net work to break Sabalenka in the first game of the third set on Saturday. She broke her again in the third game to take a 3-0 lead in the deciding set. Gauff achieved a third break in the seventh game and served for the match and championship at 5-2.

Gauff won tournaments in Washington and Cincinnati in the run-up to the U.S. and improved to 18-1 on hardcourts over more than six weeks this summer after Saturday’s triumph, according to Tennis World. She defeated Muchova to win the title in Cincinnati two weeks ago.

Sabalenka was seeking her second career major title and the second of this season. She won the Australian Open in January.

Gauff reached her first U.S. Open final after defeating Karolina Muchova in a grueling 6-4, 7-5 match during Thursday’s semifinal match. That made her the youngest American player to reach the final in New York since Serena Williams in 2001.

Gauff prevailed on Thursday despite Muchova saving five match points. Both players had to cool their heels for nearly 50 minutes early in the second set when environmental activists disrupted the match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. One of the protestors glued his feet to the concrete floor; Gauff was leading 1-0 in the second set when play was stopped.

Gauff improved her winning streak to 12 matches after winning Saturday’s final.

In her last major tournament final, Gauff lost to Poland’s Iga Swiatek in the final of the 2022 French Open.

Tracy Austin is the youngest female to win the U.S. Open women’s singles title. Austin was 16 years, 8 months, 28 days when she captured the crown in 1979.

Sabalenka advanced to her second Grand Slam final of the year by defeating 17th-seeded Madison Keys of the U.S. 0-6, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (10-5).

0