'I’m shocked': Gauff after beating Aryna Sabalenka for maiden Grand Slam title

Coco Gauff cannot control her tears after beating Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final on Saturday

American teenager Coco Gauff came from behind to win the US Open on Saturday, clinching her first Grand Slam title with a battling win over Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. Gauff, 19, produced a gutsy performance on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in 2hours, 6min to complete a fairytale transformation in her season's fortunes.

The sixth seed from Florida had gone into the final as the underdog against the hard-hitting second seed Sabalenka, who will become World No. 1 in this week's rankings. But with both players making a slew of mistakes throughout an error-strewn final watched by a star-studded record crowd of 28,143 it was Gauff who held her nerve when it mattered to seal a deserved victory.

Also Read: Gauff storms into final after climate protest delay

The win completed a remarkable turnaround for Gauff, who was left distraught after a first-round exit at Wimbledon in July. However, she bounced back to win titles in Washington and Cincinnati and has now landed the biggest win of her career, after a shattering loss in her first Grand Slam final at the French Open last year.

"It means so much to me," an elated Gauff said afterwards. "I feel like I'm a little bit in shock in this moment. That French Open loss [last year] was a heartbreak for me. This makes this moment even sweeter than I could imagine," said Gauff, the third American teenager to win the US Open after Tracy Austin and Serena Williams. Meanwhile, Sabalenka said: "She was moving really well and defending really great, better than anybody else. So I always had to play like an extra ball."

24.94 cr
The amount Coco Gauff got for winning the US Open. Billie Jean King's longtime fight for equal pay became a reality at the US Open exactly 50 years ago

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever