“I’m still overwhelmed and shocked,” she said afterwards. “I guess it’s crazy to say it’s my first WTA title. “I’ll definitely remember this moment for the rest of my life” Gauff told the crowd. A tournament that began in defeat for the upcoming tennis sensation ended with her claiming her first title in the sport.
In a breakthrough year for the 15-year-old from Florida, she became the youngest WTA winner overtaking Nicole Vaidisova who held the record since her 2004 success. Coco Gauff defeated former French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 to win her first WTA title at the Upper Austria Ladies Open in Linz. Interestingly, she lost in the qualifying rounds to Tamara Korpatsch but was fortunate enough to make the main draw after Maria Sakkari pulled out due to injury.
The teenager seized the moment and put together a brilliant run underlined by her startling 7-6(1), 6-4 win against the top seed and world number eight Kiki Bertens in the quarter-final. For all the hype around her, Gauff had never previously defeated a top-40 player. In the final, Gauff nullified the intense power of the 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko with her speed and variety, drawing errors from the inconsistent Latvian throughout. Coco picked up $43,000 prize money for winning the tournament but there is no doubt it is a fraction of what she will earn from sponsors in the coming years.
Gauff has joined an illustrious group which includes Grand Slam champions like Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova and Justine Henin in winning her first event in Linz. This success will see her break into the top 80 in the next ranking meaning she won’t need to go through qualifying or need a wild card to earn a spot at the next Grand Slam – 2020 Australia Open in January.
In a sport where we have seen several talented young players come through and shine, this Florida teenager is a new record breaker. For us to appreciate this special talent, it is important to stress that neither Serena nor Venus Williams won their first WTA titles until they were 17 years old. Coco has done it at 15!
Congratulations to a tour winner. Hopefully, it is the first of many to come.