Coco Gauff: US Open tournament director Stacey Allaster says teenager is special talent
American tennis is in good hands with Coco Gauff, says US Open tournament director Stacey Allaster, as the charismatic teenager looks to end her breakthrough year on a high.
Gauff made a stunning comeback to beat Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling US Open final to claim her first Grand Slam title and her place in US tennis royalty.
The triumph came amid a 16-match winning streak for the 19-year-old that ended in the semi-finals of the China Open last month at the hands of old foe Iga Swiatek of Poland.
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“The next generation has arrived and stands on the shoulders of the great Serena Williams and Venus Williams,” said Allaster, CEO of Professional Tennis, at the USTA.
“It feels like she’s been around for a long time. She’s only 19, she’s special. She’s humble and friendly, she works hard. And she’s very focused on winning.”
Her victory in New York was made all the sweeter for Allaster, the former WTA head who won the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Billie Jean King Leadership Award this year after the US Open celebrated its 50th anniversary of gender equality in prize money.
It’s a milestone yet to be repeated across tennis, as the WTA earlier this year announced a ‘pathway to distribute equal prize money’ at combined WTA 1000 and 500 events, starting from 2027.
“It’s certainly a testament to the value of women’s sport, of women’s tennis, when the fans show up in the stadiums and enjoy it,” she said.
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World No. 3 Gauff will next compete in the WTA Finals in Cancun, with the group stage of the season-ending tournament starting on Sunday.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how Coco performs with, you know, a bigger spotlight on her. She’s had the spotlight on her for a long time. This is a marathon. It’s not a sprint,” Allaster said. “We have seen her resilience.”