US Open 2023: Coco Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the women's singles final to win her first Grand Slam title.
In brief
Coco Gauff beat Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling three-set
match.
Gauff lost the first set before recovering
Gauff became the youngest person to win the US Open title
after 24 years
On Saturday 9 September, Coco Gauff defeated future world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the 2023 US Open, winning her first Grand Slam women's singles title. It took Gauff two hours and six minutes to win the match 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Gauff thus became the youngest person since Serena Williams to get her hands on the trophy. In 1999, Serena had defeated Martina Hingis 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) in the final when she was 18.
The opening set was virtually one-sided and it took Sabalenka only 40 minutes to close it out. She started the match with a service break, putting Gauff under pressure from the start.
However, Gauff responded with a service break to take a 2-2 lead. Gauff's joy was short-lived, however, as Sabalenka got a double break to take a 5-2 lead.
At 2-5, 15-40, the 19-year-old Gauff saved a set point, but an unforced error of her own brought the curtain down on the set. Both players committed three double faults apiece and were uncertain on second serve. But it was the three breaks earned by Sabalenka that made the difference.
GAUFF TURNS FORTUNES AROUND
In a thrilling match, Coco Gauff secured victory against Aryna Sabalenka in the Adelaide International final. Gauff began the second set strongly, holding her serve and surviving break points thanks to unforced errors from Sabalenka. Sabalenka managed to recover and even the set at 1-1 before Gauff broke her serve to take a 3-1 lead. Gauff continued her dominance, extending her lead to 4-1. In the final set, Gauff started strong by earning an early break and continued to build her lead, eventually going 3-0 up. Sabalenka attempted a comeback with a break of her own, but Gauff responded by breaking her serve to make it 5-2. Gauff's impressive performance ultimately led to her victory over the defending Australian Open champion.