Follow live updates on the U.S. Open women’s final between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka.
The U.S. Open women’s singles final is set: Coco Gauff, the 19-year-old American, will play Aryna Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed from Belarus.
The championship match, scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. Eastern, marks Gauff’s first appearance in a U.S. Open final, making her the first American teenager to reach the final in New York since Serena Williams in 2001. Gauff previously played in a Grand Slam final in 2022, losing to Iga Swiatek in the French Open.
Sabalenka, 25, will also make her first appearance in a U.S. Open final after reaching the semifinals in 2021 and 2022. She has had a strong performance in Grand Slams this year, winning the Australian Open and reaching the semifinals in the French Open and Wimbledon.
Here’s what you need to know about the match.
Their roads to the final.
Before the semifinals, Sabalenka had a flawless tournament, winning her first five matches without dropping a set. However, her streak was broken in the semifinals against Madison Keys, who took the first set 6-0. Sabalenka fought back and won the next two sets on tiebreakers.
Gauff’s path to the final has been more challenging. She played three sets against Laura Siegemund, Elise Mertens, and Caroline Wozniacki in the early rounds. However, she has since had back-to-back straight sets wins. In the quarterfinals, she defeated Jelena Ostapenko 6-0, 6-2, and in the semifinals, she beat Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-5.
Gauff leads the head-to-head.
Sabalenka and Gauff have faced each other five times, with Gauff winning three of those matches. This will be their first meeting in a Grand Slam tournament since Sabalenka won in straight sets at Indian Wells earlier this year. Sabalenka acknowledged that Gauff has improved since then.
Gauff arrives at the U.S. Open after winning titles in Washington, D.C., and at the Western & Southern Open in Ohio.
“It’s a different player,” Sabalenka said. “Going into this final, I think I just have to focus on myself and prepare myself for another fight. No matter what, just keep fighting and keep playing my best and do my best.”
There’s a spotlight on Gauff.
Since turning pro at 14, Gauff has been under constant spotlight and has often been compared to Serena Williams. Gauff reached her first Grand Slam singles final last year at the French Open at the age of 18. As the last American woman in the tournament, attention is once again on Gauff. She revealed that she has been avoiding social media to block out expectations.
“I have just been really focusing on myself,” she said. “I believe I have the maturity and ability to do it. Regardless of what happens on Saturday, I’m proud of how I’ve been handling the last few weeks.”
Gauff is seeking her first Grand Slam title and after her win on Thursday, she referenced basketball star Kobe Bryant, saying, “the job’s not done yet.”
“That’s the mentality that I have,” Gauff said. “I’m trying to enjoy the moment, but also knowing I still have more work to do. Yes, the final is an incredible achievement, but it’s something that I’m not satisfied with yet.”
Don’t count out Sabalenka.
Sabalenka has shown resilience and a knack for comebacks. In her semifinal match, she was down 0-6 in the first set and 2-4 in the second set against Keys. However, she fought back, forcing tiebreakers in both sets and ultimately winning the match.
Last year, Sabalenka achieved a similar comeback, overcoming a 2-6, 1-5 deficit in a second-round match against Kaia Kanepi. She believes that practicing comebacks in tournaments and even in visualization during practice has contributed to her ability to turn matches around.
A world No. 1 spot awaits.
Regardless of the final outcome, Sabalenka will become the new women’s world No. 1 when the WTA rankings are updated on Monday. This is due to Swiatek’s elimination from the U.S. Open in the fourth round. Despite the opportunity to achieve the top ranking, Sabalenka remains focused on the tournament and is not celebrating prematurely.
“I don’t want to celebrate anything before the end of the U.S. Open,” she said. “I just want to focus on this tournament more than on world No. 1.”
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