In a captivating showdown in the heart of New York City, the world watched as 19-year-old American tennis player, Coco Gauff, made history as she secured her first Grand Slam title. She defeated Aryna Sabalenka in three sets, making her the youngest American woman to win a Grand Slam title since Serena Williams in 1999. 

During the momentous face off, 25-year-old Sabalenka outplayed Gauff in the first set. However, Gauff staged a comeback as the crowd chanted, “Let’s go, Coco!”, which helped her regain her confidence in the second set. She also won three breaks in the third set, which allowed her to serve for the winning point and claim her victory, with a final match score of 2-6, 6-3, and 6-2. 

After securing her win, the rising tennis star collapsed onto the court as she shed tears of joy, before running to the stands to hug her parents and team. “I feel a little bit in shock at this moment,” Gauff told the crowd after her win. “I’m just thankful… I don’t have any other words for it, to be honest.”

Students at Charter also remember watching Gauff’s momentous win. For example, Anaya Andre, a senior who is also on the school’s tennis team, shared, “It honestly hit home when she won, because she’s another female tennis player, like myself, but she’s also a young black woman defying the odds. So I’m beyond proud that she represents my community,” Anaya explained.

This historic win came after Gauff lost to Iga Swiatek in the quarter finals at the French Open in June. This had been her only other Grand Slam final before Saturday’s match. “That French Open loss was a heartbreak for me, and that makes this moment even more sweeter than I could imagine,” she explained.

This victory represents a historic moment in tennis history, as many claim that the torch has been passed to Gauff from Serena Williams. In a post-match conference, Gauff credited her win to both Serena and Venus Williams, claiming that they were major influences in pursuing her career. “There weren’t too many black tennis players dominating the sport. When I was younger, it was just them that I can remember,” she said. 

Although she claimed victory in Saturday’s match, Gauff overcame more than just nerves to get to this point. She explained how she has faced pressure and self-doubt ever since she made her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon, at the young age of 15-years-old. 

Gauff felt that many people put pressure on her to win at such a young age, and if she “won one after a certain age, then it wouldn’t be an achievement,” she said. She felt as if she had to win a Grand Slam by the age of 17. Serena Williams, who she is often compared to, won the first of her 23 Grand Slam titles when she was 17. However, she learned to overcome this pressure, and instead, use it to motivate and fuel her drive and determination. 

Saturday’s victory was not the only match where Gauff has made tennis history. At the young age of 13-years-old, she competed in the junior tournament at Arthur Ashe, where she was the youngest girls’ singles finalist in US Open history. Additionally, in 2021, Gauff became the youngest French Open quarter finalist in 15 years. After reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon that year, she was set to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. 

The tennis star’s career also serves as a source of inspiration for people all over the world, even here at Charter. Sneha Mathews is a sophomore at Pines Charter who said, “I play tennis sometimes just for fun, and after seeing her win, I feel like I just have more passion for [tennis]; and I’m really happy that she won.

Gauff’s Grand Slam victory marks a new era for both her and the sport itself. It represents her perseverance, determination, and self discipline. With this win, she not only secured her place in tennis history, but she also inspired a new generation of tennis players to come.