The three-week US Open Tennis Championships culminated with the women’s and men’s singles final last weekend in front of record-setting crowds at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York.
Two months ago, Coco Gauff lost in the first round of Wimbledon to world number 128, Sofia Kenin. After this loss, the 19-year-old Gauff agreed that something had to change. Coaches Brad Gilbert and Pere Riba joined her team, and Gauff went on a tear. She went 11-1, winning tournaments in both Washington D.C. and Cincinnati, cementing herself as a favorite at the year’s final grand slam, the US Open in New York.
It took only seven hours into the tournament for Coco Gauff to face adversity. She dropped the first set to world number 121, Laura Siegemund. Gauff was in danger of losing in the first round of a grand slam for the second time this year, which would have been a disastrous result considering the momentum she carried. Despite her 2-10 record when losing the first set this year, she outlasted the German challenger in 3 sets: 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
En route to Gauff’s second career grand slam final, she won two more matches in 3 sets. Gauff defeated 32-seed Elise Mertens, and former grand slam champion, Caroline Wozniaki, in back-to-back rounds, both in 3 sets. From there, she cruised to victories against 20-seed Jelena Ostapenko and 10-seed Karlolina Muchova. This set up one of the most anticipated finals in the recent history of the US Open. Gauff was the first American teenager to reach the US Open final since the great Serena Williams in 1999. Gauff would face the new world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka, the most powerful hitter on tour.
Many pundits predicted a tight match. Sabalenka had been on this stage before, winning the Australian Open in January. She only had one speed, fast. Her opponents know what’s coming, bombing serves, and booming forehands, a huge weapon for Sabalenka, until it turns into her weakness. The Belarusian has not always handled the pressure well. That was evident more than ever in early 2022, where she set tour records for double faults, including hitting twenty-one in one match in Adelaide. Everyone knew the crowd would be roaring for Gauff. The big question was, would Sabalenka handle herself under pressure?
Gauff came out tentative, not sure of herself on the court, and Sabalenka ambushed. Sabalenka won the final 4 games of the set to take it, 6-2. Gauff once again found herself down a set. Gauff said in her press conference she was telling herself, “Never say die” a mantra her grandparents taught her from a young age. It was a passing shot at 2-1 in the second set that gave energy to Gauff and set the crowd into a frenzy. Gauff played free, going for her shots, and flew around the court playing incredible defense. She took set 2, 6-3. Gauff never looked back, racing to a 4-0 lead in the final set. Sabalenka did not go down without a fight, as she narrowed the margin to 4-2, but ultimately, Gauff prevailed 6-2 in the final set to win her first grand slam title at age 19.
Gauff rushed into the crowd and embraced her parents. She gives credit to her father for making her into the player she is, and her mother for being her emotional support.
After the match, Gauff said, “I’m feeling happiness, and a small bit of relief because at this point I was doing it for myself.”
When she burst onto the tennis scene in 2019, many compared her to the likes of Serena Williams. While it is daunting to live up to those expectations, she felt relieved for completing a big milestone in her own career path, a grand slam title on home soil.
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The story of the men’s tournament was the potential final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. They had played two thrilling matches already, one at Wimbledon, and one in Cincinnati. Everyone thought they would meet once more in the year’s final grand slam championship.
It was 3-seed Daniil Medvedev who played spoiler. He played his best tennis, beating Alcaraz 7-6(3), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinals. Meanwhile, new world number 1 Novak Djokovic cruised to the finals dropping only 2 sets on the way. It set up a rematch of the 2021 finals – where Medvedev stunned Djokovic in straight sets. This was Medvedev’s fifth grand slam final, third against Djokovic. For Novak, it was his record thirty-sixth grand slam final, and a shot at even more history.
Djokovic came out firing, winning the first set with conviction, 6-3. Medvedev reset and played well in the second set. He saved break points to keep it even until 6-5, where he had a set point. This was a twist in the plot; Djokovic was in control but in danger of dropping a set. Novak saved the set point and sent it to a tiebreaker, where he upped his level once again, taking it after 100 minutes, 7-6(5). That was the dagger for Medvedev, as Novak cruised to victory, 6-3. This win was extra special for Novak, tying Margaret Court with 24 grand slam singles titles. When asked what it means, Djokovic said, “It is truly remarkable and special in every possible meaning of the word special”.
