American teenager Coco Gauff thrilled the home crowd by fighting back to defeat Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final on Saturday night and clinch her first Grand Slam title.
Gauff, 19, was swept aside in the first set as big-hitting Sabalenka seized immediate control of the match, but the sixth seed responded in stunning style to claim a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory in 2hr 6min to complete a fairytale transformation in her season's fortunes.
The win completed a remarkable turnaround for Gauff, who was left distraught after a first round exit in July at Wimbledon – where she first burst onto the scene when, at 15 years old, she reached the fourth round in 2019.
However, Gauff bounced back to win titles in Washington and Cincinnati and having entered the US Open as one of the leading contenders, she has now landed the biggest win of her career. "It means so much to me," said Gauff, whose previous Grand Slam final appearance ended in defeat to Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros last year. "I feel like I'm a little bit in shock in this moment. "That French Open loss was a heartbreak for me.