‘Coco’ Gauff equals records on her way to first WTA title
Young American tennis sensation, Cori ‘Coco’
Gauff has closed the top 75 women’s rankings, as she beat former French Open
champion Jelena Ostapenko in the Linz Open final on Sunday.
In a stellar performance, Coco Gauff became
the youngest player to win a senior Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title in
15 years.
As a result of her historic triumph, Gauff has leaped up an astonishing 39 spots on the WTA rankings to become the new world number 71.
The 15-year-old lucky loser enjoyed a
memorable week at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz, in which she defeated her
first WTA Top 10 player in the form of Kiki Bertens, before going on to seal
her maiden tour trophy to overcoming 2017 French Open champion Jelena
Ostapenko, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2.
“I’m still overwhelmed and shocked,” Gauff
told reporters. “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,” she added.
Supercharged talent
Gauff, who was coached by a Jamaican, became
the youngest winner on tour since Czech Republic’s Nicole Vaidisova won, aged
15, in Tashkent in 2004.
The 15-year-old Gauff, who started the season ranked well outside the world’s top 600, concluded a remarkable week – having gone from failing to win her qualifier, to entering the main draw as a lucky loser.
“Words can’t describe how I feel right now.
Winning my first WTA title has always been a dream of mine,” Gauff wrote on
Instagram.
View this post on Instagram Words can’t describe how I feel right now. Winning my first WTA title has always been a dream of mine. Thank you to everyone for the outstanding support. Linz, you will always have a special place in my heart ?A post shared by Coco Gauff (@cocogauff) on Oct 13, 2019 at 12:49pm PDT
The young tennis powerhouse also becomes
the youngest player to break into the top 100 rankings since Bulgaria’s Sesil Karatantcheva
achieved the feat in 2005, at age 15.
‘Coco’, with her win on Sunday, is automatically
qualified for the Australian Open’s main draw in January 2020.
