US Open: Coco Gauff books her spot in the quarterfinals by stopping Caroline Wozniacki’s comeback
- Coco Gauff defeated Caroline Wozniacki 6-3 3-6 6-1 to reach the quarterfinals of the US Open
- Wozniacki, a 33-year-old mother of two, retired in June
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Home favorite Coco Gauff reached the quarterfinals of the US Open on Sunday with a three-set victory over Caroline Wozniacki.
Gauff became the first American teenager since Serena Williams more than two decades ago to reach the quarterfinals of the US Open in consecutive years
The 19-year-old stopped Wozniacki’s comeback at Flushing Meadows and knocked out the 33-year-old in a 6-3 3-6 6-1 victory.
The Dane, a mother of two, played in her first tournament since retiring in June and made an inspiring run to the fourth round of the US Open to face Gauff for the first time.
Gauff asked one of her coaches, Brad Gilbert, to stop speaking to her as the second set slipped away.
Coco Gauff reached the quarterfinals of the US Open with a three-set victory over Caroline Wozniacki
Wozniacki, a 33-year-old mother of two, announced in June that she would retire
19-year-old Gauff stopped Wozniacki’s comeback at Flushing Meadows by winning 6-3 3-6 6-1
During Gauff’s intense fight with Wozniacki, Gilbert constantly chirped at his teenage player, even when she was on the other side of the field.
After dropping her serve to fall 5–3 in the second set, Gauff turned to her box and firmly told Gilbert, “Please stop.”
But her coach’s silence seemed to work as she eventually won the last six games.
Gauff continued to miss the mark in the second set, with 22 unforced errors, but she cleared that up considerably along the way, with just eight miscues in the final set.
Gauff, whose best performance in a major was reaching the final at the 2022 French Open, has now won 15 of her last 16 matches. That run comes right after a first-round exit at Wimbledon in July; it also includes the two biggest titles of her career, at the DC Open and in Cincinnati.
She lost to Caroline Garcia in the quarterfinals in New York a year ago; this time the opponent will be defending champion and No. 1 Iga Swiatek or No. 20 Jelena Ostapenko.
Gauff put on a show in the Big Apple for some famous faces, including director Spike Lee.
Lee was joined by his son, Jackson Lee, as they enjoyed the action at Arthur Ashe on Sunday afternoon.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers also took a break from preparations for the upcoming NFL regular season to watch the teen tennis sensation, while Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, who was a nearly regular on Flushing this week Meadows, was also present.
More to follow.