The 143rd United States Open Tennis Championships, commonly referred to as the US Open, took place from Aug. 22 to Sep. 10. This year’s championship was held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City. Exhibiting an extremely high viewer turnout, the US Open this year broke its attendance record, becoming the first Grand Slam to welcome 957,387 spectators over a three week period.

In the women’s singles match, 19-year-old Coco Gauff from the US dominated in her final match on Sep. 9. Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus, winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. With this victory, she became the youngest US woman to win the US Open since 17-year-old Serena Williams won her first major in 1999. Additionally, Gauff also gained her first Grand Slam title. 

Gauff’s career has been on the rise since this summer, winning multiple titles such as the WTA 500 in the Washington Open and WTA 1000 in the Cincinnati Open. Winning against world No. 2 Sabalenka meant Gauff’s rank rose to a career-high No. 3 in singles and No. 1 in doubles; simultaneously, Sabalenka rose to No. 1 in singles due to making at least the semifinals of all 4 Grand Slams this season, and winning the Australian Open.

“I feel like I’m a little bit in shock in this moment,” stated Gauff in an on-court interview. The “French Open loss was a heartbreak for me, but I realized, you know, God puts you through tribulations and trials and this makes this moment even more sweeter than I can imagine.”

Following her victory, Gauff also thanked her parents, her team, and “the people who didn’t believe in [her].”

Gauff’s unique playing style has enraptured the American youth, including students at Arcadia High School (AHS).

“Coco Gauff’s game was so interesting, because at first I wasn’t sure if she was going to win, since she was struggling a lot,” commented sophomore Kaarthiga Selvakkumaran, a member of AHS’ Girls Varsity Tennis team.

“And then she won the US Open! It was so exciting and her speeches afterwards were so funny, like the one time she essentially said thank you to the hater, and that all she wants to do is go home and have a hamburger,” continued Selvakkumaran. “Maybe it’s simply psychological, but I genuinely think watching the US Open made me a better player!” 

Junior Annika Chan, another member of AHS Girls Varsity Tennis team also finds Gauff to be very admirable. 

“To win a Grand Slam, the biggest tournament of the year, at only 19-years-old is super impressive and such an inspiration for aspiring young players,” said Chan.

Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek from Poland, defending champion of the US Open was defeated by Jeļena Ostapenko from Latvia, in the fourth round. Swiatek’s rank slipped to No. 2.

On the other hand, in the women’s doubles match, Gabriela Dabrowski from Canada and Erin Routliffe from New Zealand defeated Laura Siegemund from Germany and Vera Zvonareva from Russia, 7–6, 6–3, on Sep. 10. This makes Dabrowski the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam Women’s doubles title.

From the great matches to the funny interviews, this year’s US Open was certainly filled with excitement and exhilaration. It provided an unforgettable experience for all and proved to be a great inspiration for many AHS students. 

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