Coco Gauff, the 19-year-old tennis phenomenon from Atlanta, Georgia, made history on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023.
She won the U.S. Open by beating Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Just 11 years ago, Gauff went from dancing at the US Open as an 8-year-old to winning her first career Grand Slam at the same tournament 11 as a 19-year-old.
She is the youngest American US Open champion since Serena Williams in 1999.
“Thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me,” Gauff said in her victory speech. “To those who thought they were putting water on my fire, you were really adding gas to it.”
Ranked No. 6 in the world, Gauff had to beat No. 2 player in the world to win the U.S. Open.
Sabalenka made 46 unforced errors on the day, while Gauff only committed 19.
Who Are Coco Gauff’s Parents?
Coco Gauff’s parents are Corey Gauff, a former athlete who played basketball at Georgia State University in Atlanta and Candi (Odom) Gauff who ran track for Florida State.
The Gauffs exposed Coco to many disciplines while she was young, including dance, basketball and tennis. While Coco was born in Atlanta, she was raised in Delray Beach, Florida.
After her win, Gauff thanked her parents for their dedication to her craft.
“Today was the first time I’ve seen my dad cry,” she said after the match. “Thank you guys. You believed in me from the beginning. I’ve been coming to this tournament, siting right there watching Venus & Serena compete. It’s incredible.”
Gauff credited Venus and Serena Williams as the reason for her victory.
“They’re the reason why I have this trophy today. They’ve allowed me to believe in this dream,” Gauff said. “Growing up, there weren’t too many black tennis players dominating the sport. It was just them at the time that I can remember, & obviously more came because of their legacy. It made the dream more believable. All the things they had to go through, they made it easier for someone like me to do this. You look back at the history of Indian Wells with Serena, all she had to go through. Venus, fighting for equal pay. It’s crazy & it’s an honor to be in that same lineup as them.”
Final Serve
Coco stands to become a household name now that she’s won the U.S. Open.
She already has had several endorsement deals from the likes of companies like Dior and Porsche. Those deals will only grow now.