COCO GAUFF WINS FIRST US OPEN GRAND SLAM TITLE

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And just like that, Coco Gauff wins her first US Open Grand Slam Title!

Everyone who was anyone was in the audience to watch the world’s ranked number 10 singles player, Gauff, defeat the worlds ranked number 2 player, Aryna Sabalenka.

In a dramatic finish, the 19-year-old grabbed victory 2-6, 3-6, 6-2.

“I feel like I’m in shock at this moment,” an emotional Gauff said in a post-game interview after her win. “God puts you through tribulations and trials, and this makes this moment sweeter than I would have imagined.”

Gauff won the finals on her home turf against the at the Belarusian star at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens. With her win, Gauff has become the first American teenager to win the US Open since tennis legend, Serena Williams took home the prize in 1999.

Sabalenka congratulated her opponent, saying, “I hope we play in many more finals.” After their final match, the 25-year-old went on to call Gauff “amazing.”

Although she did not win the match, Sabalenka, as of Monday, will go on to officially rise to the number 1 position in the WTA singles ranking.

Gauff also took a moment to congratulate Sabalenka on a well-played match. The tennis prodigy said, “Aryna is an incredible player.” She continued, acknowledging Sabalenka’s new ranking, “Congratulations on the no. 1 ranking, it’s well deserved.”

In addition to winning her first US Open Grand Slam Title, the Florida-native has another accolade waiting for her as well on Monday. On Monday, she and Jessica Pegula “will become the new co-ranked WTA World No. 1 doubles players” since 2012.

If you haven’t heard how it all began for this talented athlete, Gauff began playing tennis at the age of six.

In a quote found in her official bio, Gauff recalled, “I wasn’t much of a team person. I loved tennis. I was so-so about it in the beginning because when I was younger I didn’t want to practice at all. I just wanted to play with my friends. When I turned eight, that was when I played ‘Little Mo’ and after that I decided to do that for the rest of my life.”

If you remember, it was Gauff’s defeat of Venus Williams in the first round of Wimbledon in 2019 that put her on everyone’s radar. At the time, she was only 15-years-old.

Congratulations, Coco! The hard work and perseverance paid off. We cannot wait to see you repeat and bring home the title next year!

 

Photo Credit(s)/Featured Image: US Open Twitter; US Open Instagram; Coco Gauff Instagram



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