Nineteen-year-old sensation Coco Gauff achieved a historic milestone by advancing to her maiden US Open singles final, a match that unfolded amidst disruption from protesters. Gauff emerged victorious with a scoreline of 6-4, 7-5 over Czech 10th seed Karolina Muchova after a 49-minute delay.
While serving at 5-4, Gauff couldn’t capitalize on a match point opportunity, but her perseverance paid off as she eventually broke Muchova to secure the win in a nail-biting 40-shot rally, marking her sixth opportunity to clinch victory.
The sixth-seeded Gauff is now poised to face either Aryna Sabalenka or Madison Keys in the highly anticipated final on Saturday. This will be her second chance to claim a Grand Slam singles title, having finished as the runner-up to Poland’s Iga Swiatek at the 2022 French Open.
Gauff celebrated her win by raising her fist in defiance and appreciation of the exuberant Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd. She further expressed her gratitude by making a heart sign to the fans, acknowledging their support in her journey.
Her victory underscored her remarkable resolve and mental strength, which she honed during a successful North American hard-court season. Gauff shared her thoughts with the crowd during her on-court interview, expressing her excitement and gratitude for the opportunity but emphasizing that the job is not yet complete.
In the other semi-final, Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka, set to become the new world number one, will face 17th seed Madison Keys later on Thursday to determine who will challenge Gauff in the final.
