The Arthur Ashe Stadium witnessed history on Sunday (IST), September 10 as America's 19-year-old tennis sensation Coco Gauff beat Aryna Sabalenka in the women's singles final to claim her first-ever Grand Slam title.
Gauff had her back against the wall when the game progressed into the second set as she lost the first 6-2. However, the teenager showed maturity above her age group to turn the tables in a gritty display and won the second and the third set to clinch the prestigious title 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Despite losing the first set, Gauff received unwavering support from the home crowd and it fuelled her desire to stake a claim on the title and eventually came from behind to script history. This is not the first time Gauff was at the centre stage of a Grand Slam final. She was up against a formidable opponent in the form of Iga Swiatek in the final of the French Open 2022 and gave her all but had to remain content with finishing as the second-best. The 19-year-old reminisced about the moment after winning her title and shared her thoughts.
"I watched Iga lift up that trophy, and I watched her the whole time. I said I'm not going to take my eyes off her because I want to feel what that felt like for her," Gauff recalled as reported by PTI.
On the other hand, despite the loss that is going to sting a bit, Sabalenka has a lot to look forward to going ahead. She is just a few hours away from becoming the new world No. 1 player in the WTA rankings for the very first time in her playing career.
"I'm really proud of myself that all those years I have been working so hard helped me to become world No. 1," Sabalenka said on her achievement.
