"A great champion, an extraordinary human being" - Chris Evert congratulates Coco Gauff on US Open win

Chris Evert hailed Coco Gauff as "an extraordinary human being" after the 19-year-old American won her first grand slam title at the 2023 US Open.

Gauff defeated second seed Aryna Sabalenka in three sets (2-6, 6-3, 6-2) in the final on Saturday, September 9. In doing so, she became the youngest American to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 1999.

Evert, who won five US Open titles herself, shared a post on Twitter (now X) on Sunday, September 10, congratulating Gauff for her achievement.

"A great champion.. an extraordinary human being... Congratulations ⁦@CocoGauff; ⁦@ChrisMcKendry @PHShriver @espn," Evert wrote.

Gauff’s victory at Flushing Meadows capped off a remarkable summer for the teenager. She won the Mubadala Citi Open in Washington DC and the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati in August.

Coco Gauff achieved not only a personal goal but also a historic feat for American tennis by winning the US Open title. She is the first American woman to claim a Grand Slam singles trophy since Sofia Kenin at the Australian Open in 2020, and the first to conquer the US Open since Sloane Stephens in 2017.

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"Venus and Serena Williams made it easier for someone like me to do this" - Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff at the ASB Classic Media Opportunity

In a post-match press conference, Coco Gauff thanked the Williams sisters for paving the way for her and other black tennis players. She said that their hardships and heroics inspired her to pursue a career in tennis.

“Yes, it's crazy. I mean, they're the reason why I have this trophy today, to be honest. They have allowed me to believe in this dream, you know, growing up. You know, there wasn't too many just Black tennis players dominating the sport. It was literally, at that time when I was younger, it was just them that I can remember”, Gauff said.

“Obviously, more came because of their legacy. So it made the dream more believable. But all the things that they had to go through, they made it easier for someone like me to do this”, she added.

The 19-year-old added that she was overjoyed to add her name to the US Open winners list with the Williams sisters.

“I mean, you look back at the history with Indian Wells, with Serena, all she had to go through, Venus fighting for equal pay. Yeah, it's just, like, it's crazy and it's an honor to be in that kind of lineup as them. And I'm looking at it, and she's won this a lot of times. (laughter.)”, she stated.

Gauff, while winning the women's singles, lost in the doubles and mixed doubles' finals at the 2023 US Open.