Coco Gauff captured the 2023 US Open title and became the youngest American to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 1999. This tournament showcased Coco’s mental toughness and incredible shotmaking to complement her maturity and humility.
Coco started the tournament playing a three set match against German player Laura Siegemund. Her next tough match came in the round of 16 against former Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki, who played in her first major tournament since the birth of her children in 2021. She moved on from the semifinals after defeating Karolina Muchova. For the finals, seats were filled with A-list celebrities, including Kevin Durant, Nicole Kidman, Al Roker, Spike Lee, and Mindy Kaling. Coco faced the current world #1 player, Aryna Sabalenka, as her opponent. Sabalenka had won the Australian Open earlier this year.
Sabalenka is known for her powerful serves and returns, pressuring her opponents to hit perfect shots. Coco started the match looking slightly nervous and a little overwhelmed with the sheer power Sabalenka plays with. She dropped the first set, but she reset herself and took the second set rather easily, forcing Sabalenka into many unforced errors. In the third set, Coco got off to a 4-0 start before Sabalenka took a medical timeout. But, Coco kept her cool, again showcasing her mental grit and maturity to not get fazed by this stoppage of play. She took the third set 6-2, and etched her name into the history books.
Though Coco came into this tournament as a favorite, she played like the spotlight wasn’t on her. Her ability to stay level-headed also comes from her experience on tour, as she turned pro in 2019 at just 15 years old. The pressure to play each game perfectly has hampered Coco’s goals to win a major title in the past, but she says her new coach, Brad Gilbert, has really helped her relax on court and enjoy playing.
This looks like the first of many Grand Slam titles for Coco. Her maturity, humility, and energy goes well beyond her years and provides a refreshing outlook on life. This win showcased her improvement and how deep her talent runs. Coco Gauff’s story is just getting started.
