19-Year-Old Coco Gauff Wins First U.S. Open, First American Teen To Do So Since Serena In 1999

Coco Gauff won the 2023 U.S. Open women’s singles title this afternoon, defeating Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. The win marks the 19-year-old Gauff’s first Grand Slam championship and she pulled it off with a huge rally after losing the first set . She becomes the 11th teenager to ever win a Grand Slam singles title and the first American teenager to win the U.S Open since Serena Williams won the tournament in 1999.

There’s another similarity. Gauff won 3 matches in the tournament after losing the first set and battled back to eventually become U.S. Open Champion. According to ESPN, the only other woman to do that in the Open era was 17-year old Serena in 1999.

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Match point was an exchange of powerful shots followed by great returns, with Gauff finally sliding a backhand by Sabalenka and collapsing to the ground in joy. Watch it below.

Gauff made her comeback against the player who is currently ranked No. 2 in the world and, given her performance this week, will soon become the No. 1 player. Gauff is expected to vault to No. 3 after her performance at Flushing Meadows.

While Gauff is very young, she’s not a newbie at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Video went around on social media of an 8-year-old Coco dancing in the bleachers at the tournament. Eleven years later, she is its champion.

The match was televised on ESPN which, for many including some of the players at the tournament, meant they could not watch Gauff’s ascention.

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