US Open:Coco Gauff beats Sabalenka and becomes champion – 09/09/2023 – Sport

American Coco Gauff, 19, beat Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, 25, by 2 sets to 1 (2-6, 6-3 and 6-2) and won the US Open this Saturday (9). It is the first Grand Slam title for a player who is considered a possible successor to Serena Williams.

Gauff started the match poorly and had his serve broken three times in the opening set, including in the first game of the match. Aggressive, Sabalenka won the partial 6-2, despite making many unforced errors and double faults.

But the Belarusian’s problem continued in the second set, and Gauff improved, chased the balls a lot and broke her opponent’s serve in the fourth game; then, she held on to close at 6-3.

Counting on the support of the fans, the American continued to improve in the decisive set and broke the Belarusian’s serve twice in her opponent’s first two service games, in addition to confirming her services. She thus opened 4 games to 0 and the path to victory.

When trailing 4-1, Sabalenka underwent medical attention; later, she broke Gauff’s serve, but the American returned it in kind in the next game and served to close the set 6-2.

The American wins her first Grand Slam in the second time she competes in a final of this type – the other time, in 2022, she lost to Iga Swiatek, at Roland Garros, by 2 sets to 0.

Gauff is the first American to win the US Open since 2017, when Sloane Stephens beat compatriot Madson Keys in the final 2 sets to 0.

Despite Saturday’s defeat, 2023 was also a special year for Sabalenka, who reached the semifinals of Roland Garros and Wimbledon, was runner-up at the US Open and champion of the Australian Open.

She is now number 1 in the world, a position she took from Poland’s Iga Swiatek, 22, who was eliminated by Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, 26, in the round of 16 of the US Open. Gauff, in turn, finishes the US Open as number 3.