Coco Gauff Secures First Grand Slam at US Open

Out of 63 players that entered the 2023 US Open Women’s Singles tournament, 19-year-old Coco Gauff emerged victorious at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, taking home her first Grand Slam title. 

In a stunning match on Saturday, Gauff made an impressive comeback and defeated Aryna Sabalenka, the second-ranked player in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, with a score of 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. About 28,143 spectators were on the edge of their seats during the thrilling match.

According to a highlight video from ESPN, Gauff scored the winning point and immediately fell to the ground. She lay on her back, overcome with emotion, and sobbed in celebration. After shaking hands with Sabalenka, she was escorted by security up the steps to where her family and other close supporters were waiting. There, she embraced them in a joyous and emotional reunion.

“Thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me,” Gauff said after winning her first Grand Slam title. “Like a month ago, I won a 500 title, and people said I would stop at that. Two weeks ago, I won a 1000 title, and people were saying that was the biggest I was going to get. So three weeks later, I’m here with this trophy right now.” 

At the press conference, the teenager confidently acknowledged her major influences, Serena and Venus Williams. She credited her Grand Slam victory to them, as their legacy and the challenges they had to conquer made her dream appear more feasible and reachable for someone like her. 

"Words can't describe what (Serena and Venus Williams) meant to me. I hope another girl can see this and believe they can do it, and hopefully, their name can be on this trophy too," Gauff said. According to the US Open, Gauff is the youngest American to reach the US Open final since Serena Williams in 1999.

Gauff earned a prize of $3 million for winning the US Open. During an Instagram live, a fan recommended that she use the money to pay off any debts. She said, “Somebody said to pay off debts, I'm 19 I don't have any debt, I'm not in debt, I live with my parents still.”

Following the conclusion of the US Open, the WTA made changes to its ranking system. The system is cumulative and ranks tennis players based on their results in up to 16 singles tournaments and 11 doubles tournaments. As a result, Gauff moved up from sixth to third seed.  

Edited by: Anwen Venn

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