Coco Gauff triumphs at the US Open, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling match at Flushing Meadows.
Coco Gauff became the youngest US Open champion, triumphing over Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling match to secure her first Grand Slam title.
The 19-year-old American teenager recently secured victory at Flushing Meadows, becoming the first American since Serena Williams in 1999.
Sabalenka is on track to become the world No. 1 in tennis, having won the Australian Open and performed well at other Grand Slam tournaments. However, her recent loss to Gauff in a memorable match at Arthur Ashe Stadium will likely be a disappointment for her.
Gauff, who reached her first slam final at Roland Garros last summer, losing heavily to Iga Swiatek, said: “It means so much to me, I feel like I’m a little bit in shock. My French Open [final] loss was a heart-breaker for me, but God puts you through trials and tribulations and that makes this even sweeter.”
“I just knew if I didn’t give it my all I had no shot at winning. Aryna is an incredible player and deserves to be number one.”
Taking the microphone and before receiving the trophy from Billie Jean King on the 50th anniversary of equal prize money, Gauff said: “Thank you first to my parents.
“Today was the first time I ever saw my dad cry. He thinks he’s so hard but…he took took me to this tournament when I was young to watch Serena and Venus (Williams) compete, so it’s incredible to be on this stage.
“Thank you so much to my team. I know it’s been a long month but your faith has never wavered.
“And thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me. I tried my best to carry this with grace. To those who thought you were putting water on my fire, you were really adding gas to it and now I’m burning so bright.”
In the match, Gauff started off with a shaky start, losing her serve in the first game. However, Sabalenka made some mistakes, allowing Gauff to level the score at 2-2.
In the match, the soon-to-be world No 1 dominated as they won four games in a row, displaying impressive skills with their racket.
Gauff faced a challenging start in the second set. However, she began to play more consistently, pushing Sabalenka to make errors. With the support of an enthusiastic crowd, Gauff secured a crucial break and went on to win the set, forcing a decisive final set.
she took the lead by breaking Sabalenka’s serve at the beginning of the deciding set and maintained her momentum throughout.
In a closely contested match, the second seed took a break for a thigh injury, allowing Gauff to gather her thoughts.
Gauff showed her resilience by bouncing back from a temporary setback. Despite Sabalenka’s efforts, Gauff ultimately emerged victorious with a remarkable display of skill.
There were tears of a different nature for Sabalenka, who said as the crowd applauded: “You guys could have cheered like this during the match!
“I just want to say congrats Coco, you played unbelievable. And to your team. You guys deserve this title. Many more to come I’m pretty sure. I hope we’re going to play many more finals – different result hopefully.”
Sobbing heavily, the Belarusian added: “I want to send a lot of love to my family, sorry about this result.”
Gauff vs Sabalenka: Tale of the Tape
| Gauff | Match Stats | Sabalenka |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Aces | 4 |
| 5 | Double Faults | 6 |
| 62% | 1st serve win percentage | 65% |
| 52% | 2nd serve win percentage | 41% |
| 7/10 | Net points won | 13/21 |
| 5/9 | Break points won | 4/10 |
| 13 | Total winners | 25 |
| 19 | Unforced errors | 46 |
| 83 | Total points won | 74 |
World of sports 
Leave a comment