Coco Gauff wins the U.S. Open for her first Grand Slam title at age 19 (2024)

Coco Gauff holds up the championship trophy after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships on Saturday in New York. Frank Franklin II/AP hide caption

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Coco Gauff wins the U.S. Open for her first Grand Slam title at age 19 (2)

Coco Gauff holds up the championship trophy after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships on Saturday in New York.

Frank Franklin II/AP

NEW YORK — This was what so many folks figured Coco Gauff would do at some point. Didn't matter how young she was. Didn't matter whether there were setbacks along the way. Those outsized expectations did not make the task of becoming a Grand Slam champion as a teenager any easier — especially when that chorus was accompanied by voices of others who doubted her.

She did it, though. At age 19. At the U.S. Open, where she used to come as a kid with her parents to watch her idols, Serena and Venus Williams, compete.

Gauff set aside a so-so start and surged to her first major championship by coming back to defeat Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the U.S. Open final on Saturday, delighting a raucous crowd that was loud from start to finish.

When it was over, when she had shed tears of joy, when she had hugged Mom and Dad as they cried, too, Gauff first thanked them, and her grandparents, and her brothers, one of whom failed to answer a FaceTime call from her right after the match. And then Gauff took the microphone to address anyone who might have questioned if this day would arrive.

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Coco Gauff is praised after she calls out a U.S. Open chair umpire over slow play

Coco Gauff is praised after she calls out a U.S. Open chair umpire over slow play

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"Thank you to the people who didn't believe in me. Like a month ago, I won a (tour) title and people said I would stop at that. Two weeks ago I won a (tour) title and people were saying that was the biggest it was going to get. So three weeks later, I'm here with this trophy right now," said Gauff, who is on a career-best 12-match winning streak. "Tried my best to carry this with grace, and I've been doing my best, so honestly, to those who thought they were putting water in my fire: You were really adding gas to it and now it's really burning so bright right now."

Gauff, who is from Florida, is the first American teenager to win the country's major tennis tournament since Serena Williams in 1999. If last year's U.S. Open was all about saying goodbye to Williams as she competed for the final time, this year's two weeks in New York turned into a "Welcome to the big time!" moment for Gauff. Famous people were coming to watch her play each time, and one, former President Barack Obama, sent a congratulatory note via social media on Saturday.

Coco Gauff reacts during a match against Aryna Sabalenka at the U.S. Open tennis championships Saturday in New York. Charles Krupa/AP hide caption

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Coco Gauff wins the U.S. Open for her first Grand Slam title at age 19 (4)

Coco Gauff reacts during a match against Aryna Sabalenka at the U.S. Open tennis championships Saturday in New York.

Charles Krupa/AP

Gauff burst onto the scene at 15 by becoming the youngest qualifier in Wimbledon history and making it to the fourth round in her Grand Slam debut in 2019. She reached her initial major final at last year's French Open, finishing as the runner-up. What appeared to be a step back came this July at the All England Club, where she exited in the first round.

Since then, she has won 18 of 19 contests while working with a new coaching pair of Brad Gilbert and Pere Riba.

The No. 6-seeded Gauff did it Saturday by withstanding the power displayed by Sabalenka on nearly every swing of her racket, eventually getting accustomed to it and managing to get back shot after shot. Gauff broke to begin the third set on one such point, tracking down every ball hit her way until eventually smacking a putaway volley that she punctuated with a fist pump and a scream of "Come on!"

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Soon it was 4-0 in that set for Gauff. At 4-1, Sabalenka took a medical timeout while her left leg was massaged. Gauff stayed sharp during the break — it lasted a handful of minutes, not the 50 during a climate protest in the semifinals — by practicing some serves.

When they resumed, Sabalenka broke to get within 4-2. But Gauff broke right back, and soon was serving out the victory, then dropping onto her back on the court. She soon climbed into the stands to find her parents.

"You did it!" Gauff's mom told her, both in tears.

Soon Gauff was accepting her trophy — "It's not heavy," she said — and an envelope with the champion's $3 million paycheck, the same amount Novak Djokovic or Daniil Medvedev will get after the men's final Sunday. This is the 50th anniversary of when the 1973 U.S. Open became the first major sports event to pay women and men equal prize money; the person who led that effort, Hall of Fame player and rights advocate Billie Jean King, was on hand Saturday.

"Thank you, Billie," Gauff said, "for fighting for this."

Sabalenka came in 23-2 at majors in 2023, including a title at the Australian Open. The 25-year-old from Belarus already was assured of rising from No. 2 to No. 1 in the rankings next week (Gauff will be No. 3 in singles, No. 1 in doubles).

But Sabalenka was reduced to the role of foil by the fans in 23,000-capacity Arthur Ashe Stadium. Setting the tone, Gauff's pre-match TV interview, shown on the video screens in the arena, was drowned out by the sound of applause and yells reverberating off the closed retractable roof.

Winners by Gauff were celebrated as if the match were over. So were Sabalenka's miscues. When Sabalenka heard cheers during the post-match ceremony, she joked: "You guys could have supported (me) like this during the match."

By the end, she had 46 unforced errors, Gauff 19. Here's another way to view it: Gauff only needed 13 winners to accumulate 83 points.

When Sabalenka has everything calibrated just right, it's difficult for any foe to handle it — even someone as speedy, smart and instinctive as Gauff, whose get-to-every-ball court coverage kept points alive.

"I just knew that if I didn't give it my all," Gauff said, "I had no shot at winning."

When Sabalenka was on-target early, she dominated. During a four-game run to close the opening set, one thrilling point had the audience making noise before it was over. Gauff scrambled to get Sabalenka's strokes back, including somehow deflecting a booming overhead, before a second, unreachable overhead bounced into the seats.

Sabalenka raised her left hand and wagged her fingers, telling spectators to give her some love.

But soon, Gauff was playing better, Sabalenka was off-target more, and the love was being showered only on one of them, the sport's newest Grand Slam champion.

"Many more to come," Sabalenka said, "I'm pretty sure."

Coco Gauff wins the U.S. Open for her first Grand Slam title at age 19 (2024)

FAQs

When did Coco Gauff win her first Grand Slam? ›

Coco Gauff's First Grand Slam Victory at US Open 2023

While she steadily climbed the WTA rankings with wins at the 2019 Linz Open and the 2021 Emilia-Romagna Open, a Grand Slam title remained elusive.

Is Coco Gauff the youngest Grand Slam winner? ›

Coco Gauff becomes Grand Slam champion in singles and doubles after 2024 French Open win. U.S. tennis superstar Coco Gauff has become the youngest player in 19 years to win both a singles and doubles Grand Slam title.

How old was Coco when she won US Open? ›

Coco Gauff (born March 13, 2004, Delray Beach, Florida, U.S.) is a professional tennis player who, at age 19 in 2023, became only the third American teenager to win the U.S. Open women's title.

What is Coco Gauff's net worth in 2024? ›

What is Coco Gauff's net worth in 2024? Coco Gauff's net worth in 2024 is estimated to be anywhere between $3.5 million and $21.7 million, depending on the source. Based on her career earnings and endorsements, the true number is likely somewhere between the two.

Who won the Grand Slam at 18 years old? ›

Emma Raducanu, at the age of 18 years and 302 days, won the US Open 2021 women's singles title to become the latest teenager to win a tennis major.

Is the U.S. Open considered a Grand Slam? ›

The US Open is the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year, played annually in late August and early September. It was first held in August 1881 on grass courts at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island, United States.

Who is Coco Gauff 19-year-old tennis player? ›

Cori Dionne "Coco" Gauff (/ˈɡɔːf/ GAWF; born March 13, 2004) is an American professional tennis player. She has won seven career singles titles, including the 2023 US Open, and nine career doubles titles, including the 2024 French Open.

Who is the youngest woman tennis player to win a Grand Slam? ›

As Martina Hingis turns 40, look back at highlights from her remarkable WTA career. At the 1997 Australian Open, Martina Hingis became the youngest ever Grand Slam champion, winning the tournament aged 16.

Which 19-year-old tennis prodigy captured her first Grand Slam singles title in September? ›

With a stirring, three-set, back-from-the-dead win that sent the world's biggest tennis stadium into a state of delirium, Coco Gauff, the 19-year-old prodigy who seemed destined for this since her early teens, captured her first Grand Slam title, winning the U.S. Open singles final, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, over Aryna Sabalenka ...

How much did Coco Gauff win at U.S. Open? ›

Coco Gauff earned a record $3 million for winning the US Open title in September. That achievement, coupled with a robust endorsement portfolio that's only grown over the last 12 months, has made the American teenager the world's highest-paid female athlete according to American sports media company Sportico.

How old was Imelda when she had Coco? ›

When she was nineteen years old, Imelda gave birth to their first-born and only child, named Socorro who they nicknamed "Coco." After having her child, Imelda wanted to settle roots and start a family. However, Héctor left to play for the world with childhood friend Ernesto de la Cruz.

Which tennis player is the daughter of a billionaire? ›

Jessica Pegula, 30, is the No. 6 women's tennis player in the world. She's the daughter of Terry and Kim Pegula, the billionaire owners of the Buffalo Bills and Sabres. Jessica Pegula is competing for Team USA in the Olympics in the women's singles and doubles events.

Is Coco Gauff a millionaire? ›

2024 seems to be the year of Coco Gauff as her estimated net worth is about $12 million, and this is just at the beginning of her professional career, She is constantly looking to improve which will lead her to solidify her stance as one of the youngest and highest paid players in the sport.

Is there a tennis billionaire? ›

1 Ion Tiriac – $1.2 billion

Tiriac made the most of the collapse of communism in Romania as he established a bank in his home country which has seen him become the first tennis player to become a billionaire.

Has Naomi won a Grand Slam? ›

Naomi Osaka has won four grand slam titles. She won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021, and won the U.S. Open in 2018 and 2020.

Has anyone won singles and doubles at the same Grand Slam? ›

Double delight: Grand Slam singles and doubles champions since 1990. Only seven players in the last 30 years have won the singles and doubles titles at the same Grand Slam - and just one has accomplished the feat at Roland Garros.

How much money does Coco Gauff get for winning the U.S. Open? ›

Coco Gauff Made $3 Million With Her U.S. Open Win.

Why is Coco Gauff called Coco? ›

Coco is a nickname: The tennis star's birth name is Cori Gauff, an homage to her father, Corey. Gauff told Sports Illustrated Kids in 2021 that the nickname came about because it would be confusing for people calling their names. "I believe it was my aunt who said, 'Oh, we should just call her Coco,'" she said.

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