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, will mark 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 already competed in a Grand Slam final in 2022, where she lost to Iga Swiatek in the French Open.
Sabalenka, 25, will also be participating in a U.S. Open final for the first time after reaching the semifinals in the 2021 and 2022 tournaments. Sabalenka has demonstrated strong performance at Grand Slams this year, winning the Australian Open in January for her first Grand Slam title and reaching the semifinals of the French Open and Wimbledon.
Here’s what you need to know about the match.
Their paths to the final.
Before the semifinals, Sabalenka had breezed through the tournament, winning her first five matches without dropping a set. However, her streak ended in the semifinals on Thursday against Madison Keys, who took the first set from Sabalenka 6-0 in just 30 minutes. Despite this setback, Sabalenka fought back and won the next two sets on tiebreakers.
Gauff’s matches have not been as straightforward. She played full three sets in the first round against Laura Siegemund, in the third round against Elise Mertens, and in the fourth round against Caroline Wozniacki.
However, Gauff has since secured back-to-back straight sets wins. In the quarterfinals against Jelena Ostapenko, she emerged victorious with a score of 6-0, 6-2, in just over an hour. In the semifinals, Gauff defeated Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-5.
Gauff leads the head-to-head.
Sabalenka and Gauff have played against each other five times, with Gauff emerging victorious in three of those matches. The final will mark their first encounter at a Grand Slam tournament.
Sabalenka won their most recent match in straight sets during the quarterfinals of Indian Wells earlier this year. After her match on Thursday, Sabalenka acknowledged that Gauff has shown improvement since their last meeting.
Gauff arrived at the U.S. Open this year 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.”
The spotlight is on Gauff.
Since turning pro at 14, Gauff has been constantly in the spotlight and often considered as an heir apparent to Serena Williams. Gauff solidified these expectations when she reached her first Grand Slam singles final last year at the French Open at just 18 years old.
Now, as the last American woman remaining in the tournament, all eyes are on Gauff once again. Following her victory on Thursday, Gauff admitted to avoiding social media to shield herself from the weight of people’s expectations.
“I have just been really focusing on myself,” she said. “I truly believe that I now have the maturity and capability to handle it. Regardless of what happens on Saturday, I’m extremely proud of how I have handled the past few weeks.”
Nevertheless, Gauff is eager to win her first Grand Slam tournament title. After her win on Thursday, she referenced the late basketball star Kobe Bryant, stating that 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, reaching the final is an incredible achievement, but it’s something I am not satisfied with yet.”
Don’t underestimate Sabalenka.
After losing the first set of her semifinal match on Thursday without winning a single game, Sabalenka found herself trailing 4-2 in the second set against Keys. However, she fought back and forced tiebreakers in both the second and third sets.
“I’m really proud that I was able to turn around this match,” said Sabalenka.
Thursday night was not the first time Sabalenka has pulled off such a comeback. In last year’s U.S. Open, she was down — 2-6, 1-5 — in a second-round match against Kaia Kanepi. It seemed like a lost cause until Sabalenka rallied to win the second set and eventually the match.
Sabalenka mentioned that the best way to practice comebacks is during tournaments, but even in practice, she visualizes being down 4-1 in a set.
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