Our Girl Coco Gauff Won The US Open – Here’s Everything To Know About Her
Meredith Holser is B+C's resident affiliate writer. Meredith enjoys writing about a range of topics, but she's adopted e-commerce writing in all its many facets. Outside of work, you can catch Meredith hiking, trying new recipes, and dreaming about having a yummy little treat.
Of this year’s topfemale tennis players, we’re particularly hooked on young Coco Gauff, who just won the 2023 US Open. To be crowned the youngest winner of the US Open, hold five singles titles, and rank third among a handful of other talented female tennis players at 19 years old is simply remarkable.
She first came on the sport’s scene in 2019, with a win against Venus Williams at Wimbledon. She was only 15 at that time, deeming her the youngest Wimbledon qualifier in history. An icon, really. Here are more reasons to cheer on our girl Gauff beyond this year’s tennis season.
Coco Gauff Wins The US Open Finals
Coco Gauff won the US Open Finals on September 9, 2-6 6-3 6-2 against Aryna Sabalenka, earning her the title of the youngest woman to win the game since Serena Williams won it in 1999.
Gauff’s glorious US Open Finals win warranted congratulations from tons of celebrities and stars who either attended the game, or watched from home. Nicole Kidman, Amanda Seyfried, Cara Delevingne, Kylie Jenner, Timothée Chalamet, Kevin Durant, Alexandra Daddario, Mindy Kalin, Laverne Cox, Charlize Theron, Ariana DeBose, and Diane Keaton were just a few who sat in the stands. Many other A-listers dropped congratulatory comments on Gauff’s Instagram, post-win.
“I learned how to just stay within myself but also embrace it,” Gauff told CNN after her win. “Before I tried to ignore it, but now I’m really embracing it and I still feel like I have long, long ways to develop as a player. Today was nowhere near my best, but it was just enough that I needed to win in that moment.”
President Biden and former Presidents Obama and Clinton made remarks on Gauff’s jaw-clenching game, posting complementary messages on X (formerly Twitter).
More About Coco Gauff
Cori Dionne (AKA “Coco”) Gauff is a professional tennis player, and one of the youngest to ever qualify for expert-level tournaments. Both of her parents were college athletes, so athleticism truly runs in the family. Reigning from Delray Beach, Florida, Gauff began her tennis career at 6 years old with very strong determination that ultimately led her to training overseas with Patrick Mouratoglou, who also coached Serena Williams. His guidance and her talent together created a magical force in the tennis world, with Gauff earning a handful of prestigious titles as a junior player alone.
Later on, her professional ventures did *not* go unnoticed. During Wimbledon 2019, her gametime performances captivated audiences, raising ESPN’s Wimbledon viewership by 29%.
Gauff often credits the Williams sisters as her tennis idols. "Serena Williams has always been my idol... and Venus," Guaff told UPI. "They are the reason why I wanted to pick up a tennis racket."
Why We're Hooked On Coco Gauff
No matter if it’s acting, music, or sports, it seems we’re always keeping our eyes peeled for ‘the next big thing,’ and the idea of witnessing a prodigy in each of those sectors is not only admirable, but simply entertaining to experience.
The passion and commitment that Gauff and her family have exhibited – her mom and dad both gave up their careers to propel the youngster’s tennis career – is inspiring, which is just one reason why we’re so excited to watch her play and grow.
Another reason is her consistent talent and sheer power. Watching someone get deep in the groove like Gauff grooves on the court is addicting and adrenaline-inducing when you’re observing from afar (even if you’re not a tennis fan). Though you could never catch us on the court, we’re living vicariously through this queen.
@cocogauff #spiderman ♬ It's On Again (feat. Kendrick Lamar) (From The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Soundtrack) - Alicia Keys
It’s also heartening to know that Gauff is… just like us. We’re basically part of the same chronically-online generation, and being able to scroll past her often comedic TikTok content makes her all the more relatable.
How old is Coco Gauff?
Coco Gauff is 19 years old.
What happened at the US Open with Coco Gauff?
On September 7, 2023, Coco Gauff faced off against Karolina Muchova for the US Open quarterfinals, winning the game at 6-4, 7-5. The victory didn’t come without a challenge though, as the match was interrupted by climate protesters, causing a roughly 50-minute delay.
According to AP, a group of four protesters wearing shirts that read “End Fossil Fuels” were confronted by security guards and police and were removed from their seats. One of the activists had glued his bare feet to the concrete floor.
Neither Gauff nor Muchova were necessarily upset by the incident, but rather, focused solely on the game during the delay. Based on Gauff’s win, it seems she didn’t let it kill her momentum.
“I always speak about preaching about what you feel and what you believe in. It was done in a peaceful way, so I can’t get too mad at it. Obviously I don’t want it to happen when I’m winning up 6-4, 1-0, and I wanted the momentum to keep going,” Gauff told AP. “But hey, if that’s what they felt they needed to do to get their voices heard, I can’t really get upset at it.”
This wasn’t the first time environmental activists made their message known on or around the tennis court. Similar events happened at Wimbledon this past July, and anotherUS Open match in August.
“We are not trying to harm the athletes in any way. We have nothing against the sport,” one protestor from the Gauff vs. Muchova game told AP. “But we are really trying to draw attention to an issue here that there will be no tennis left for anybody in the world to enjoy.”
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Lead photo by Clive Brunskill / Staff / Getty.
This post has been updated.
Meredith Holser is B+C's resident affiliate writer. Meredith enjoys writing about a range of topics, but she's adopted e-commerce writing in all its many facets. Outside of work, you can catch Meredith hiking, trying new recipes, and dreaming about having a yummy little treat.
