Tennis star Coco Gauff advanced to her first U.S. Open singles final on Thursday in a match that contained major lead changes, a roaring atmosphere, and even a nearly hourlong delay due to environmental protesters.
The 19-year-old American defeated Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 7-5 in the semifinal match, becoming the first American to reach the New York final since Serena Williams in 2001. She will face either American Madison Keys or Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in the title match; the two are in the middle of a third set in the early morning hours of Friday.
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Gauff is ranked No. 6 in the world, while Keys and Sabalenka are No. 17 and No. 2, respectively. If not the favorite, Gauff will likely be the favored on Saturday among a home-country crowd that was loud in its support of the teenager on Thursday, with the chair umpire repeatedly urging them to quiet down.
“Some of those points, it was so loud, and I don’t know if my ears are going to be OK,” Gauff said, per the Associated Press. “I grew up watching this tournament so much, so it means a lot to be in the final. A lot to celebrate. But the job is not done, so hopefully, you can back me on Saturday.”
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Gauff was the runner-up at the 2022 French Open and has won five Women’s Tennis Association Tour singles titles and eight doubles titles. At 15, she broke the record for the youngest player to qualify for the main Wimbledon draw since its inception in 1968.
When Gauff was 17, she qualified for the Tokyo Olympics but had to withdraw when she contracted the coronavirus. At the time, she was the youngest player ranked in the top 100 by the Women’s Tennis Association and held a career-high ranking of world No. 23 in singles tennis.
