No female American teenager had won the U.S. Open since 1999 until Coco Gauff, 19, defeated number two seed Aryna Sabalenka on September 9, etching herself into American tennis history. The Florida native stunned the crowd, overcoming the first set and ultimately winning back-to-back sets to claim her first-ever Grand Slam Title.
Ever since she was fifteen, when she qualified for Wimbledon as the youngest player ever, Gauff had an underdog mentality. She lost to Iga Swiatek in the 2022 French Open final, and stepped on the court of the 2023 U.S. Open more determined to capture her first major trophy.
In the first round, Gauff faced German Laura Siegemund. Although she dropped the first set, she kept her composure for the next two and advanced to the next round. She swept through the second and third rounds, and battled through the round of 16 and quarter-final matches. Displaying a dominant performance in the semi-final against Karolína Muchová, Gauff propelled herself to a second final in two years.
Fans and celebrities alike settled into their seats at Arthur Ashe Stadium with high hopes. Sablenka dominated the opening set, challenging Gauff with relentless pressure. Gauff responded by forcing Sablenka into several errors to win the second set, leaving it all up to the third set. With Sablenka folding under Gauff’s pressure, Gauff finished the job. “Thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me,” Gauff said, as she held the trophy to the world. “To those who thought [they] were putting water on my fire, you’re really adding gas to it. And now I’m really burning so bright right now.”
As tears streamed down Gauff’s face, hopes became a reality, inspiring millions of young girls. BLS girls’ tennis player Cleo Barowsky (IV) remarks, “Coco Gauff’s win for me was very inspiring. […] It’s always amazing when a teenager like Gauff wins such a big tournament, and we are going to channel her athleticism and winning energy as we prepare for the ‘24 season, as her win lets us know that even at our age we can win some big matches and reclaim our number one title.”
Despite her young age, Gauff has decorated her trophy cabinet with a greatly acclaimed addition.
