Coco Gauff is a Grand Slam singles champion at age 19, rallying from a set down to beat the world’s top-ranked player in the U.S. Open final.
Gauff overcame Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to become the youngest American to win a major since Serena Williams took the first of her 23 titles at the 1999 U.S. Open at 17.
Gauff also ended the longest Grand Slam singles title drought in U.S. history (men and women), since Sofia Kenin won the 2020 Australian Open.
She completed a rise through the top level of tennis that began with a win over Venus Williams at Wimbledon at age 15 in 2019 in her Grand Slam main draw debut.
Gauff hit other milestones — a WTA tournament winner later in 2019, a win over Naomi Osaka at the 2020 Australian Open, then a runner-up finish at the 2022 French Open.
But she hit a low at this year’s Wimbledon, losing in the first round to Kenin.
She made changes, including adding Brad Gilbert as a coach, and then went 18-1 through this U.S. summer hard-court swing, bagging the two biggest tournament titles of her career.
She was seeded sixth at the U.S. Open and, with this crown, will rise to No. 3 in the world.
