Coco Gauff secured her first Grand Slam title with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Aryna Sabalenka at the US Open on September 9. With the win, Gauff became the first American to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 2014 and the youngest American winner since Williams in 1999. It has marked the peak of a white-hot 2023 season for Gauff, where she has won two other titles. It sets her up perfectly for a 2024 season that will likely include an appearance at the Olympics in Paris.
Gauff celebrated her win in her unique, energetic style. Taking to TikTok, Gauff posted a video posing with the trophy as DJ Khaled's "All I Do Is Win" played in the background. "Oh my goodness, it means so much to me," Gauff told ESPN's Mary Joe Fernandez. "I feel like I'm a little bit in shock in this moment. That [2022] French Open loss was a heartbreak for me. But I realized God put you through tribulations and trials and that makes this moment even sweeter than I could have imagined."
Gauff Gets High Praise
"You played unbelievable," Sabalenka said to Gauff during the on-court trophy ceremony. "Congrats to you and your team, you guys deserve this title. Many more to come, I'm pretty sure." However, the praise didn't stop at her opponent. "Congratulations to US Open champion, @CocoGauff! We couldn’t be prouder of you on and off the court - and we know the best is yet to come," wrote former president Barack Obama. "This generation is living the dream of the Original 9. Congratulations, @CocoGauff! 💙," wrote women's tennis legend Billie Jean King.
Furthermore, Gauff received a litany of praise for her post-victory speech. "In one speech coco gauff: thanked her opponent, thanked her family, thanked her haters, thanked her coaches, thanked the behind-the-scenes tennis workers, thanked Billie Jean King for fighting for $ equality, shouted out her dad for crying in 4k. No notes perfect speech," wrote journalist Matt Ellentuck. Congratulations to Coco and we're excited to see the heights your career heads to next. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.
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