MOSCOW, September 10 American Cori Gauff after winning the Open US Tennis Championships in New York said she had been pressured to win the Grand Slam since she was 15 years old.
In the US Open final, 19-year-old Gauff defeated the future world number one, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, with a score of 2:6, 6:3, 6:2. The American will rise to third place in the updated Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, which will be her best result.
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"It wasn't easy. I've come a long way getting here. I wasn't a full-fledged player and I'm not sure I still am. I was required to win a Grand Slam title from the age of 15. I felt like I had an age limit that I couldn't overcome and that if I won after that it wouldn't be an achievement. It’s crazy how much I’ve heard or read about myself, so I’m very glad that I succeeded,” Gauff quotes L'Equipe.
Grand Slam tournamentsUS Open WTA September 09, 2023 • starts at 23 :20CompletedCorey GauffUSA2: 12:66:36:2Arina SabalenkaBelarus
The American also admitted that it was not easy for her to turn the game around after losing the first set. «It couldn't have been more dramatic. After the first set, I went to the toilet because I was so nervous. While I was washing my hands, I splashed water on my face and said to myself, 'Come on, we'll have to start from scratch.' I was able to convince myself that «This is an ordinary match, no different from others. And the nervousness has gone away,» the tennis player added.
Gauff became the winner of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. In 2022, she lost in the decisive match at Roland Garros.