She Inspires Us All: 15-Year-Old Coco Gauff wins her first title
Article By Eric Rowe // EEW Magazine // Sports News
As Coco Gauff made her runs at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open this summer, we were already impressed and inspired by the prodigy and youngest qualifier in tournament history, who beat five-time champion Venus Williams.
Coco Gauff is the youngest WTA singles champion since Nicole Vaidisova in 2004. (Credit: Barbara Gindl | APA | AFP)
But what the 15-year-old Gauff accomplished by winning a WTA singles title Sunday at the Linz Open is even more impressive than her earlier feats and inspires us all—again.
Coco Gauff holds her trophy, next to parents Candy (L) and Corey (R) Gauff, after winning the 2019 Linz Open in Austria. (Credit: Barbara Gindl | APA | AFP)
“This is a special moment for me,” Gauff said after losing in the last round of qualifying, then moving into the main draw as a “lucky loser” when another player withdrew from the field.
“I’m still overwhelmed and shocked,” Gauff said, according to the WTA’s website. “I guess it’s crazy to say it’s my first WTA title. This was definitely not on the calendar at the beginning of the year, because I didn’t think I’d have a chance to get in, and now I’m the champion, so it’s crazy.”
The young American beat 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 in the final of the Upper Austria Ladies tournament Sunday, making Gauff the youngest winner of a singles trophy on the WTA tour since 2004.
In the summer, Gauff’s runs at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open both ended in defeat at the hands of a top-10 player—Simona Halep in the fourth round and Naomi Osaka in the third round, respectively.
Her latest performance, however, validates and even heightens all the Coco hype—and rightfully so. She notched a straight-sets quarterfinal win over world No. 8 Kiki Bertens, which is notably the best win of her career by rank and margin.
The sports world is fascinated and enthralled by how well Gauff moves and her hyper-consistent style. The last time any player this young won a WTA title was 2004. Gauff was six months old.
