Coco Gauff Wins US Open
She is the top-ranked American woman in singles at No. 3 in the world.
The 19-year-old tennis sensation defeated Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus, winning her first Grand Slam title on September 9, 2023.
The moment Coco Gauff beat Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the 2023 US Open.
Gauff played three sets, scoring 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to become the third American teen to win the final Grand Slam of the year, joining the ranks of Serena Williams. Williams won her first Grand Slam at 17 years old in 1999.
Gauff joins an elite group of Black female tennis players. Black women have been the only American US Open Women’s Singles champions since 2000. Sloane Stephens won in 2017. Serena Williams won in 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Venus Williams won in 2000 and 2001.
Born in Atlanta, Gauff began playing professional tennis in 2018 at age 14, playing in her first Wimbledon tournament the following year. She was the youngest player to reach the main draw at Wimbledon, upsetting five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in straight sets at the age of 15.
The champion’s tennis idols are Serena and Venus Williams. “Serena Williams has always been my idol…and Venus,” she has said. “They are the reason why I wanted to pick up a tennis racquet.” Gauff’s message to young girls, “keep dreaming and keep believing.”
