August 8th 2023.
Go off, Gauff! Professional tennis player Coco Gauff celebrated an incredible victory at the DC Open, becoming the youngest player to win a title at a WTA 500-level tournament in over a decade.
Competing for 84 minutes in scorching hot weather, the 19-year-old achieved her first win at this level. She was presented with a heavy, black-and-silver trophy named after Donal Dell, one of the founders of the tournament, to which she jokingly replied, “I [don’t] go to the gym for nothing.”
Gauff defeated Maria Sakkari, 6-2,6-3 in the final, but winning was not the only goal she had in sight. She wanted to show her personality and have fun on the court, which she did by doing a celebratory dance and twirl at the end of the tournament.
She reflected on her competition, saying, “I think the caliber of players I have beat this week was probably the strongest out of all of the tournaments I’ve played.” Gauff won four straight sets, three of which were against top-20 opponents, including Sakkari.
Gauff thanked her new coaches, Pere Riba and Brad Gilbert, for helping her reach this milestone. She also gave a shout-out to her little brothers, who were unable to attend because of a family birthday party in New Orleans. She said, “That’s the first time he’s called me in, like, two months. I’m usually the one calling him.”
Gauff was humbled to be in a position where she can be a role model for her fans, including many children, and she happily signed autographs for them. Although she played well, she believes she can still work on her game and improve.
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