With a passionate Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd providing a boisterous backdrop, Gauff's triumphant performance lasted a little over two hours, solidifying her reign as the queen of New York.
This historic win made Coco Gauff the first female American teenager to clinch a major title in the Open Era since 2000, joining the esteemed company of tennis legends such as Chris Evert, Serena Williams, and Tracy Austin. Drawing parallels with her French Open semi-final, Sabalenka's downfall once again stemmed from a series of costly errors. In contrast, Gauff maintained her composure and exhibited ruthlessness when it mattered most, igniting scenes of jubilation across the United States. This victory marked her second attempt at Grand Slam glory, following her runner-up finish to Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros in 2022.
Unlike the shocking bagel Madison Keys endured in the semi-final against Sabalenka, the Belarusian second seed broke Gauff's serve in the opening game, unleashing a ferocious cross-court backhand to take an early lead. However, Sabalenka's disastrous second service game, featuring two quick double faults and a forehand into the net, allowed Gauff to level the score at 2-2. The match's start was characterized by frenetic back-and-forth exchanges.
Ultimately, Sabalenka maintained her break advantage, extending her lead to 5-2, with Gauff conceding the set despite fending off one set point during her service game. Despite unwavering support from the crowd, Gauff struggled to make up for her mistakes, and a dejected tone enveloped her play.
The second set witnessed a spirited resurgence from Gauff, who electrified the crowd with a magnificent cross-court backhand to take a 3-1 lead. Despite facing a break point, Gauff managed to consolidate her advantage at 4-1. While Sabalenka attempted to force Gauff to serve out the set, another long forehand error from the Belarusian ultimately led to a decisive third set.
Interestingly, Gauff's response to this pivotal moment was a quick off-court break, which appeared to rejuvenate her game. In the first game of the third set, a powerful forehand smash allowed her to break Sabalenka's serve. Sabalenka's capitulation, coupled with her forehand errors, gifted Gauff a double break, propelling her to a commanding 4-0 lead. Despite Sabalenka finally getting on the scoreboard, she called for a physio to address an apparent thigh issue. This brief pause breathed life into Sabalenka's game, as she managed to reclaim one break.
Nevertheless, Gauff swiftly extinguished this glimmer of hope by breaking Sabalenka once more with a venomous forehand. A sublime passing backhand winner marked Gauff's ascension as a Grand Slam champion. Overwhelmed by emotion, the 19-year-old celebrated with her family in the stands, while Sabalenka collected her first Grand Slam runner-up prize in her career.
