Coco Gauff, 19, has become a Grand Slam champion after beating Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final. Gauff, seeded at No 6, clinched an impressive 2-6 6-3 6-2 win over second-seeded Sabalenka in the US Open final. Gauff, who won Washington and Cincinnati leading up to the US Open, showed why she was considered among the top favorites for the title and became the first American female to win the event since Sloane Stephens in 2017.
In just a few weeks, Gauff lifted her first WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati and then also became a Grand Slam champion at the US Open. In 1999, Gauff’s idol Serena Williams became a Grand Slam champion at the US Open at the age of 17.
24 years later, Gauff followed her idol in becoming a Slam champion in New York.
Gauff stormed back to beat Sabalenka
Gauff got off to a slow start to the US Open final as Sabalenka took an early 2-0 break. Down by an early break, Gauff responded and got the break back in the fourth game to tie the first set to two games apiece.
However, blowing an early break didn’t impact Sabalenka, who earned back-to-back breaks in the fifth and seventh games to win four games in a row and still pretty easily win the first set. After easily winning the first set, Sabalenka missed out on two consecutive break points in the first game of the second set.
Sabalenka paid the price for that as Gauff then broke the Belarusian in the fourth game for a 3-1 lead. Up by a break, Gauff held on to her service for the remainder of the second set to force a decider. After winning the second set, Gauff started the third set with back-to-back breaks and a 4-0 lead.
Sabalenka got one break back in the sixth game but Gauff broke the Belarusian again in the seventh game to open a 5-2 lead. In the eighth game, Gauff converted her first championship point to complete a three-set win over Sabalenka.
