Cori “Coco” Gauff once again etches her name into the tennis history books yet again after her latest vanquishing in suburban Cincinnati on Sunday, Aug. 2023.
Gauff, 19, defeated the No. 1 ranked women’s tennis player Karoline Muchova to capture the Western & Southern Finals in Mason, Ohio, according to ESPN. She is the first teenager to win the tournament in over 50 years.
During the tournament, the No. 7 ranked Gauff was also finally victorious over the four-time Grand Slam-winning and No. 1 ranked Iga Swiatek after seven defeats to earn her spot in the Finals.
Gauff becomes the first teenager to win five career titles since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009. She is also the first teenager to win three titles in a season since Bianca Andreescu in 2019. Moreover, Gauff joins an exclusive club of American victors at the event, including Lindsay Davenport (2004), Serena Williams (2014 and 2015) and Madison Keys in 2019.
“This is unbelievable,” Gauff said during the trophy presentation, according to the sports network. “I’m just happy to be here for this moment.
Gauff graciously added, “I want to congratulate Karolina for an incredible run in this tournament. Hopefully, we’ll play more often, and on a bigger stage than this.”
Since her family replaced her team with a new coach and celebrated adviser, Gauff has made a dramatic comeback from her embarrassing first-round defeat at Wimbledon in June. She has now won 11 of her last 12 matches, including the past two titles, and the phenom is set on making a better showing at the year’s final tennis grand slam, the U.S. Open, in late August.
