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Former US President Bill Clinton recently congratulated Coco Gauff for winning her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open on Saturday, September 9.
Gauff came back from a set down to defeat World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling three-setter, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, that lasted more than two hours.
The American is currently ranked sixth in the world and is the youngest American woman to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 1999. Clinton took to Twitter (now X) on Sunday, September 10, to congratulate the 19-year-old for the achievement.
"Congratulations Coco Gauff on your incredible victory in this year’s @usopen! The future of American tennis looks bright," Clinton wrote.
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Gauff’s US Open campaign was nothing short of spectacular. The American survived a tough first-round match against Laura Siegemund, coming from a set down to win in three sets.
The 19-year-old then breezed past Mirra Andreeva, Elise Mertens, Caroline Wozniacki, and Jelena Ostapenko to reach the semifinals, where she faced 10th seed Karolina Muchova, eventually prevailing in straight sets.
In the final, Gauff faced Sabalenka, who had beaten Madison Keys in a nail-biting three-setter in the other semifinal. The American prevailed in three sets, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Coco Gauff’s US Open title is not only a personal milestone for her but also a historic moment for American tennis. She is the first American woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Sofia Kenin at the Australian Open in 2020, and the first to win the US Open since Sloane Stephens in 2017.
She also became the fourth American teenager to win a Grand Slam (Open era) after Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, and Serena Williams.
"God puts you through tribulations and trials and this makes this moment even more sweeter" - Coco Gauff
In her post-match interview, Coco Gauff was asked about how she managed to change the course of the game after coming from a set down to defeat Aryna Sabalenka. The World No. 6 revealed that she had no choice but to fight hard and not quit halfway through the match.
“I don't know [where I found the belief to turn this match around], I just knew that if I didn't give it my all, I had no shot at winning,” she said.
The American admitted that losing the 2022 French Open title to Iga Swiatek was painful for her, but she trusted God to help her bounce back stronger.
“Oh my goodness. [Winning my first Grand Slam title on home soil] means so much to me. I feel like I'm a little bit in shock in this moment. That French Open loss was a heartbreak for me. But I realized, God puts you through tribulations and trials and this makes this moment even more sweeter than I can imagine,” she said.
Coco Gauff said that her father has been a solid pillar of strength for her throughout her journey, even though people always tried to split them by saying he should not be part of her training.
"That man has supported me through so much. People always tried to tear us apart, saying he didn’t need to be in my box or he didn’t need to coach me anymore. Little do they know, he’s the reason I won this match,” she said.
