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Tag: Coco Gauff

  • Need a vacation? Imagine how US Open tennis players feel during their long season

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka was on a boat. She was lounging by the pool. The reigning U.S. Open champion was anywhere, it seemed, except a tennis court.

    When the professional tours moved to North America for the hard-court tournaments ahead of the trip to New York — where the second round wraps up Thursday — the top-ranked Sabalenka instead was on the Greek island of Mykonos.

    “It was very important, because the season had been really intense at that point, and I felt like I was really low (on) energy,” said Sabalenka, who skipped an event in Montreal in late July. “I was motivated, of course, but it felt like everything was going really tough. I couldn’t show my best, and the body was really weak. I felt like, ‘OK, I need to take a little break and a little recharge and come back stronger.’”

    Many players understand. Their sport’s season is so long, and the offseason so short, that they don’t wait until the end of the year to chill.

    Sometimes, they figure, vacation must come during the season.

    “Because if not,” Alex de Minaur, an Australian seeded No. 8 at the U.S. Open, said of the grind, “it’s ongoing.”

    The tennis calendar is so full that players need in-season vacations

    De Minaur’s recent seasons didn’t end until late November because he was playing in the Davis Cup team competition — and the new seasons started in late December.

    So de Minaur and his fiancée, British player Katie Boulter, have been getting away from it all, even if it’s just for a week, after Wimbledon ends in July to have what he called “a little bit of a mental reset for the second part of the year.”

    Not everyone has the luxury, or even the desire, to do that, for various reasons.

    Some US Open players don’t think they can afford to take a break

    Sometimes, players are coming back from an injury absence and want to make up for lost time, lest their rankings drop too much. Or perhaps they’ve been playing well and want to keep the momentum going. Or find themselves in a rut they want to play their way out of.

    For someone like 37-year-old Adrian Mannarino of France, who in January 2024 became the oldest man to break into the ATP top 20, there is a benefit to embracing a philosophy that essentially amounts to “all work and no play.”

    “I’m the type of player who likes to (compete) a lot, so when I retire, that’s when I’m going to take a lot of vacations,” he said. “It’s sometimes hard to get out of the (playing) rhythm: Going on holiday to try to break the stress (of) mental things, then getting back to it, is not easy. And with my game, I feel like I need to play a lot to get the rhythm, and I don’t like to get out of my rhythm.

    “There’s a time for work and a time for holidays — and hopefully in the next few years, I’ll have more time for holidays.”

    Vacations during the season don’t exist in team sports, but they do in tennis

    The idea of taking vacation during the season doesn’t exist in team sports. For players in the NFL, NBA, NHL or Major League Baseball, there is an ample offseason, even for clubs that win a championship, to travel and rest, then begin working out again.

    Boulter waited and wonders if it cost her. There was a need to add a tournament this summer to meet the WTA Tour requirement of six 500-level events, knowing she was going to be short one while playing on Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup team. She dropped four of five matches coming into the U.S. Open, then was eliminated in the first round.

    “The times that I should have had periods of break, I don’t really feel like I chose myself,” Boulter said. “I kind of chose other things bigger than myself, and I think that’s why I kind of ended up at this point.”

    US Open players can decide whether or not to hit the beach

    Ajla Tomljanovic, who lost to Coco Gauff in the first round in New York on Tuesday night, said the answer is simple: “It’s your choice whether you play or not,” she said. “So for me, if I need a break, and I feel like I want to go on a vacation, I take it.”

    She was planning for some practice after Wimbledon. But, like Sabalenka, Tomljanovic decided to hit the beach, instead.

    “I felt like there was enough time to sneak that in,” she said. “And also, it’s very good for my body, as well. I have to be mindful of it. I wasn’t complaining about a few days off.”

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    AP Tennis Writer Howard Fendrich contributed to this report.

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    AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

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  • American Women’s Tennis Has Entered Another Golden Age

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    Amanda Animisova after punching her ticket to Saturday’s final.
    Photo: Robert Prange/Getty Images

    Every year when the US Open rolls around in August, the discourse begins again in earnest: how long must we wait for an American man to win another Grand Slam? It’s been 22 years now, dating all the way back to Andy Roddick’s triumph at this very tournament in 2003, and still, no one looks particularly close to pulling it off. The almost-insurmountable problem is that doing so would likely require unseating Jannik Sinner and/or Carlos Alcaraz in a best-of-five encounter. And while American men’s tennis is better positioned than it has been in a while, boasting a talented crop of contenders that includes Ben Shelton and last year’s US Open finalist, Taylor Fritz, getting through the duopoly at the top of tennis is a herculean feat for anyone on tour.

    The men’s title drought, and the sense of desperation it inspires in the American tennis commentariat, is all the more reason to celebrate something that can too easily be taken for granted: American women’s tennis, only a few years removed from Serena Williams’s retirement, is experiencing yet another boom period.

    With her three-set, three-hour win over Naomi Osaka in the semifinals on Thursday night, New Jersey native Amanda Anisimova booked a spot in her second consecutive Major final. It was a gutsy comeback from the 6-0, 6-0 shellacking she took at the hands of Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon in July, the kind of defeat that might have kept a lesser player down for months. But the 24-year-old Anisimova, whose punishing ball-striking follows in the power tennis tradition of Lindsay Davenport and the Williams sisters before her, has proven she’s here to stay, making steady improvements to an already polished game since taking a mental health break from the tour in 2023. When she takes on world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the final on Saturday, she’ll be attempting to become the third different American woman to win a major in 2025 alone. At the French Open, world number three Coco Gauff beat Sabalenka to win her second slam; four months earlier in Melbourne, 30-year-old Madison Keys recorded storybook, back-to-back wins over Swiatek and Sabalenka to win her very first.

    Joining them in the sport’s upper echelon is the late-blooming 31-year-old Jessica Pegula, an unflappable baseliner whose flat strokes and precise timing call to mind yet another giant of American women’s tennis, Jennifer Capriati. Where Gauff and Keys secured financial support and scholarships from a number of American tennis associations as young prodigies, Pegula, the daughter of oil magnate and Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula, was a less heralded junior player who didn’t break into the WTA’s top ten until she was 28. Since then, she’s been a mainstay in the sport’s upper ranks — and were it not for Sabalenka’s comeback victory against her in Thursday’s first semifinal, one of the finest matches of this year’s Open, Pegula might well be joining Anisimova in an all-American final.

    And there is more depth, still, from world number 11 Emma Navarro to two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Taylor Townsend, who earned herself legions of new fans last week after gracefully enduring a heated and racially charged confrontation with her second-round opponent, Jelena Ostapenko. That many of Towsend’s countrywomen rallied behind her was a testament not only to the potent sense of solidarity among the group but to the 29-year-old’s quietly successful tenure on the women’s tour, during which she’s emerged as one of the world’s best doubles players.

    But what might be more impressive than the sheer depth of American women’s tennis today is the variety of playing styles among them. If Anisimova and Keys bludgeon the ball, routinely hitting groundstrokes at speeds comparable to the best men’s players in the world, Gauff wins with unrelenting defense and mettle. Townsend, meanwhile, employs the kind of old-fashioned serve-and-volley tactics that have mostly disappeared from the modern game.

    Perhaps we’ve become inured to all the winning. But the fact of the matter is that, for at least the last 50 years, no country has been better at developing women’s tennis superstars than the United States. In fact, since the last time an American man claimed a Major singles title, American women have won 25 (yes, no small chunk of those belong to Serena).

    “All of us look different,” Gauff said last month at the Masters tournament in Cincinnati while reflecting on the abundance of American talent in tennis today. “We have biracial, black, white [players], all types of representation for girls and guys to look up to in the top 10.” When asked whether or not the women feel a friendly sense of rivalry with their male compatriots, she couldn’t help but get in a playful jab. “It hasn’t been much of a competition, no offense to them,” Gauff quipped. “They have to catch up.”


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    Jake Nevins

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  • What A Match! Naomi Osaka Defeats Coco Gauff At US Open To Reach Her First Major Quarterfinal Since 2021 

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    Naomi Osaka smiled before her US Open showdown against Coco Gauff began on Labor Day (Sept. 1) — and after it ended. Between points, Osaka patted her left thigh and quietly told herself, almost in a whisper: “Come on. Come on.” Ultimately, that encouragement led her to reach her first major quarterfinal in over four and a half years. 

    RELATED: Naomi Osaka Reacts To Jelena Ostapenko Allegedly Insulting Taylor Townsend After Match

    What Naomi Osaka Said After Winning Against Coco Gauff

    Once the ball was in play, Osaka’s strokes were loud and on-target. According to the Associated Press, the tennis champ had the confident, consistent, and power-swinging tennis that carried her to four Grand Slam titles and the No. 1 ranking. Monday’s game was Naomi’s biggest statement yet that she is back on top of her game. She’s previously taken time for her mental health and new motherhood.  In the Labor Day US Open match, Naomi Osaka eliminated Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-2 in Arthur Ashe Stadium. 

    “I was super locked-in, to be honest. I was really locked in,” Naomi Osaka said. “I felt like everyone wanted to watch a really great match, and I hope that’s what you got.”

    What A Match! Naomi Osaka Defeats Coco Gauff At US Open To Reach Her First Major Quarterfinal Since 2021 
    Naomi Osaka, of Japan, celebrates after winning a match against Coco Gauff, of the United States, during the fourth round of the US Open tennis championships, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

    Details About Each Player’s Game Energy

    According to the AP, Naomi Osaka brought her A-game in Monday’s match, while Coco Gauff was on B-game. Coco, for example, made repeated mistakes on the court that cost her. She finished with 33 unforced errors — way more than Naomi Osaka’s 12.

    Additionally, her body language was reportedly different from Osaka’s. Coco Gauff came out jittery at the start. Her problematic serve was fine; other strokes were the problem. Also, Gauff repeatedly put her palms up, covered her face with a hand, or gestured toward her team in the stands. At points, she looked confused or upset.

    What A Match! Naomi Osaka Defeats Coco Gauff At US Open To Reach Her First Major Quarterfinal Since 2021 What A Match! Naomi Osaka Defeats Coco Gauff At US Open To Reach Her First Major Quarterfinal Since 2021 
    Coco Gauff, of the United States, reacts during a match against Naomi Osaka, of Japan, in the fourth round of the US Open tennis championships, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

    Meanwhile, Osaka’s serving and returning were terrific. She won 32 of the 38 points she served — 15 of 16 when first serves landed in. She also never faced a single break point and converted all four break chances she earned.

    Ultimately, AP writes that the key difference between the tennis players is that Naomi Osaka used her big forehand, her best stroke, to go after Coco Gauff’s forehand, her worst stroke. The strategy clearly paid off. By the end of the first set, Coco Gauff had made 16 unforced errors and Osaka only five. By the end of the match, 20 of Gauff’s unforced errors were off the forehand side.

    Naomi Has Won Against Coco Before

    It was at the French Open in 2021, after the Australian Open, that Naomi Osaka helped spark a global conversation about mental health. At the time, she revealed she felt anxiety and depression and took a series of breaks from the tour.

    Before winning against Coco, Naomi’s most recent trophy at Melbourne Park was the last time she had made it to the fourth round at any major in recent years. The first came at Flushing Meadows in 2023, and the second at the French Open this June. Osaka returned to the tour last season after a 17-month maternity leave. Her child, Shai, was born in July 2023.

    “I’m a little sensitive, and I don’t want to cry, but, honestly, I just had so much fun out here,” said Osaka.

    Naomi Osaka first played Coco Gauff back at the 2019 US Open and won that one, too.“I was in the stands like two months after I gave birth to my daughter, watching Coco. I just really wanted an opportunity to come out here and play,” Osaka told the crowd on Monday. “This is my favorite court in the world, and it means so much for me to be back here.

     

    RELATED: Taylor Townsend Responds After Jelena Ostapenko Blames Language Barrier For US Open Remarks (VIDEO)

    Associated Press tennis writer Howard Fendrich contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.

    What Do You Think Roomies?

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    Cassandra S

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  • 5 Olympic Athletes Who Win Gold In Style

    5 Olympic Athletes Who Win Gold In Style

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    Every four years, the Summer Olympics are a canon event for millions of people across the globe. The best-of-the-best athletes are transported to some major city (this year, Paris) where they compete to be crowned the best athletes in the world.

    And, yes, there are a million different aspects of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics that we could discuss. This year, the internet has meme’d every single competitor from “Mr. Pommel Horse” Stephen Nedoroscik, the women’s artistic gymnastic team headed by Simone Biles, and, of course, French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati.

    All eyes are on the Olympians as we head into the final week of competitions before the closing ceremonies on August 11…and while we celebrate them for their elite athletic abilities, I want to chat about something else they excel in: fashion.

    Yes, some of your favorite Olympians are gold medalists not only in their sport, but also in dressing well.

    Because the Olympics are splashed across the world stage for several weeks every other year, we all get to know the athletes pretty well. Some are returning fan-favorites (Katie Ledecky, Biles, Noah Lyles), and there are newfound competitors who’ve stolen our hearts.

    And while the world appreciates the gymnastics leotards or the Opening Ceremonies costumes, I like to look at the athletes who show their style in other ways. Take Noah Lyles and his painted nails, for example, which have of course been a topic of controversy.

    If you’re watching these athletes compete, chances are you’re catching bits of their personality regardless. And I’m sure you’re looking them up on social media hungry to learn everything you can about them.

    I’m no different than you. I’m constantly searching social media while watching these Olympians medal. I need to know their life story…Which is how I’ve found some of the most stylish Olympians competing this year. Here are my findings:

    Suni Lee

    Suni Lee has quite the story: overcoming two rare kidney disease diagnoses and battling her way back up to Olympic caliber. Not only is she an Olympic medalist this year, but she’s also a bit of a fashion icon herself.

    Suni was the face of the Team USA Olympic SKIMS campaign, and often isn’t shown without iconic lash extensions and flawless makeup. You catch a flavor of Suni’s inimitable style in everything she wears and not just from hair and makeup alone.

    Simone Biles

    Simone’s got swag, to put it bluntly. With a bejeweled rhinestone travel bag announcing “Simone Biles Owens” next to the Olympic rings, gems nestled into her canine teeth, and a diamond goat chain, she lets her personality shine despite having to wear a conforming uniform.

    Biles Owens is insanely talented, with multiple gymnastic moves attributed to her, but I love how she shows her flashy style and wears it with confidence. Such a Biles move.

    Noah Lyles

    World champion sprint runner, Noah Lyles, is no stranger to winning. Following his
    Olympic Gold in the 100-metre dash – which he won by 5-thousandths of a second! – his Olympic-themed nails were a hot topic of conversation.

    He won the Olympics this year wearing an ornate choker and multiple bracelets. But off the track, his style is getting pinned straight to our Pinterest boards.

    Sha’Carri Richardson

    Sha’Carri is famous for being one of the fastest women in the world, but something that also sets her apart is her style. Often running with her hair down, lash extensions, and always-intact acrylic nails, Sha’Carri’s not too shy to show a little bling.

    Richardson constantly shows she’s got flair and attitude through her fiery hair and even more fiery antics.

    Coco Gauff

    The face of
    New Balance and brands like Ray Ban, Coco Gauff radiates effortless style. Tennis-core is a big trend right now, but for Coco, it’s just her uniform. She has her own New Balance line, of course, and was decked out in the brand for her Olympic debut.

    What Gauff does best is simplicity. She chooses her accessories deliberately: like wearing two matching wrist sweatbands when competing.

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    Jai Phillips

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  • Coco Gauff named female flag bearer for Team USA at Olympics Opening Ceremony

    Coco Gauff named female flag bearer for Team USA at Olympics Opening Ceremony

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    When team USA takes part in the Paris Olympics and Paralympics opening ceremonies, they’ll be doing so in tailored navy blazers from Ralph Lauren. It’s just like getting better with time. Uh So I’m super excited for this specific Paris capsule and the Paris look will be distinctly American David Lauren. The company’s chief branding and Innovation Officer says he wants the *** to feel at once dressed up, but at the same time comfortable. So every day, denim blue jeans for all Olympians and Paralympians from all countries are looking at the team USA Ralph Lauren gear and they’re like, man, is it too late for *** dual citizenship for the closing ceremony? The team will wear sharp white moto style denim jeans with matching jackets designed in yes patriotic red, white and blue. Ralph Lauren has been outfitting team USA since 2008 and while not giving an exact amount, the company says some of the proceeds of retail sales of their Olympic Year goes to help support team usa athletes training for the games on the road to the Paris Olympics. I’m Fletcher mackall

    Coco Gauff named female flag bearer for Team USA at Olympics Opening Ceremony

    Tennis star Coco Gauff will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the U.S. Olympic team at Friday’s opening ceremony.Gauff, the reigning U.S. Open champion, is set to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games and will be the first tennis athlete to carry the U.S. flag. She and James were chosen by Team USA athletes.The 20-year-old Gauff made the American team for the Tokyo Games three years ago as a teenager but had to sit out those Olympics because she tested positive for COVID-19 right before she was supposed to fly to Japan.Now Gauff, who is based in Florida, is a Grand Slam title winner in singles and doubles. She won her first major championship in New York in September, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the singles final of the U.S. Open, then added her first Grand Slam doubles trophy at the French Open this June alongside Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.The same clay courts at Roland Garros used for the French Open will be where matches are going to be held for the Paris Olympics. The draw to set the brackets is Thursday, and play begins on Friday.Gauff is seeded No. 2 in singles, matching her current WTA ranking behind No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland, and will be among the medal favorites.She and her usual doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, are seeded No. 1 in women’s doubles. It’s possible Gauff could also be entered in mixed doubles, but those pairings have not been announced yet.

    PARIS —

    Tennis star Coco Gauff will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the U.S. Olympic team at Friday’s opening ceremony.

    Gauff, the reigning U.S. Open champion, is set to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games and will be the first tennis athlete to carry the U.S. flag. She and James were chosen by Team USA athletes.

    The 20-year-old Gauff made the American team for the Tokyo Games three years ago as a teenager but had to sit out those Olympics because she tested positive for COVID-19 right before she was supposed to fly to Japan.

    Now Gauff, who is based in Florida, is a Grand Slam title winner in singles and doubles. She won her first major championship in New York in September, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the singles final of the U.S. Open, then added her first Grand Slam doubles trophy at the French Open this June alongside Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.

    The same clay courts at Roland Garros used for the French Open will be where matches are going to be held for the Paris Olympics. The draw to set the brackets is Thursday, and play begins on Friday.

    Gauff is seeded No. 2 in singles, matching her current WTA ranking behind No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland, and will be among the medal favorites.

    She and her usual doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, are seeded No. 1 in women’s doubles. It’s possible Gauff could also be entered in mixed doubles, but those pairings have not been announced yet.

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  • Iga Świątek continues pursuit of fourth French Open title with semifinal victory against Coco Gauff

    Iga Świątek continues pursuit of fourth French Open title with semifinal victory against Coco Gauff

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    (CNN) — Iga Świątek marched into her fourth French Open final with an impressive 6-2 6-4 victory against American Coco Gauff on Thursday.

    The Polish star will be the strong favorite to win her fifth grand slam title this weekend having extended her winning run to 18 matches in all competitions and 20 at Roland Garros. Against Gauff, Świątek has now been victorious in 11 of their past 12 meetings.

    In Saturday’s final, Świątek could win a third straight French Open title when she faces Italy’s Jasmine Paolini – a feat no woman has achieved since Justine Henin in 2007.

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  • Presidents Obama, Clinton Congratulate Coco Gauff Following Her U.S. Open Win

    Presidents Obama, Clinton Congratulate Coco Gauff Following Her U.S. Open Win

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Barack Obama congratulated Coco Gauff on her U.S. Open title Saturday, less than two weeks after attending her first comeback of the tournament.

    After Gauff rallied to beat Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, messages quickly poured onto the social media platform formerly known as Twitter in celebration of the 19-year-old American’s first Grand Slam title.

    “We couldn’t be prouder of you on and off the court — and we know the best is yet to come,” Barack Obama wrote.

    Obama and his wife, Michelle, were in Arthur Ashe Stadium on opening night, when Gauff rallied for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over Laura Siegemund. They met with her after the match, which was followed by a tribute to Billie Jean King as part of a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Open becoming the first sporting event to offer equal prize money to female and male competitors.

    Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle were on hand to watch Coco Gauff take on Laura Siegemund during the U.S. Open on Aug. 28, 2023, in New York City. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

    Michelle Obama also sent congratulations with a picture of their meeting, while Clinton wrote that: “The future of American tennis looks bright. ”

    “The support I have gotten is incredible,” Gauff said. “Obviously from President Obama and former first lady Michelle is crazy that they were here my first-round match, and now I’m a different person now.”

    Gauff and her parents also received a congratulatory phone call from President Joe Biden, who was in New Delhi for the Group of 20 summit.

    Gauff thanked King for the leading the prize money fight when she collected her $3 million winner’s prize. King responded to a tweet showing video of that moment, posting that: “This generation is living the dream of the Original 9,” referring to herself and the other women who signed $1 contracts to launch a women’s pro circuit in 1970.

    Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson congratulated Gauff and praised her parents, writing that “Corey and Candi, they’ve done an outstanding job!”

    And Gauff got kudos from rival competitors, with 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens telling her that “my girl you are amazing!!!!”

    Coco Gauff, alongside her parents Corey and Candi Gauff, poses with the winner's trophy outside Arthur Ashe Stadium after beating Aryna Sabalenka of Russia in the U.S. Open women's singles final on September 9, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Frey/TPN/Getty Images)
    Coco Gauff, alongside her parents Corey and Candi Gauff, poses with the winner’s trophy outside Arthur Ashe Stadium after beating Aryna Sabalenka of Russia in the U.S. Open women’s singles final on September 9, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Frey/TPN/Getty Images)

    Frey/TPN via Getty Images

    AP tennis coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

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  • Teenager Coco Gauff wins U.S. Open women’s final, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in three sets

    Teenager Coco Gauff wins U.S. Open women’s final, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in three sets

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    USA’s Coco Gauff reactys as she plays Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka during the US Open tennis tournament women’s singles final match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on September 9, 2023. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

    Angela Weiss | Afp | Getty Images

    Coco Gauff won the U.S. Open women’s final, becoming the latest Black American woman to leave a history-making mark on the most sacred grounds of U.S. tennis

    Gauff bested Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus on Saturday 6-2 in the third set.

    Gauff’s upset win at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York City, etches her name into the history books alongside other Black American women’s tennis icons like Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Althea Gibson.

    Gibson won the U.S. National Championship women’s singles titles in 1957 and 1958, a forerunner of the U.S. Open. Venus, the older Williams sister, won the U.S. Open in 2001 and 2002 while Serena took the championships of 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

    Those six U.S. Open singles titles by Serena Williams are only matched by Chris Evert’s half-dozen championships in the tournament’s modern era, 1975-78 and 1980 and 1982.

    Read more from NBC News:

    Coming into Saturday, Gauff, 19, of Florida, has won five singles titles but was still chasing a title in one of the world’s four major tournaments (the U.S., French and Australian Opens and Wimbledon).

    She’s come close before as the French Open runner-up in 2022 and when she reached the quarterfinals in Flushing Meadows last year.

    It was in the low 80s when the first ball was served at about 4:15 p.m. EDT in Queens and the roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium was closed to mitigate some of the heat.

    The temperature was better Saturday than the withering conditions — mid- to high-90s — that have plagued this tournament.

    Correction: Coco Gauff won the U.S. Open in three sets. A headline on an earlier version of this article misstated that.

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  • Coco Gauff Tops Karolina Muchova To Reach The US Open Final. The Match Was Delayed By A Protest

    Coco Gauff Tops Karolina Muchova To Reach The US Open Final. The Match Was Delayed By A Protest

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Coco Gauff never wavered. Not when a big lead in the first set evaporated. Not when match point after match point went by the wayside. And not, most distracting of all, when her U.S. Open semifinal against Karolina Muchova was interrupted for 50 minutes Thursday night by environmental activists — one of whom glued his bare feet to the concrete floor in the stands.

    It’s been rather obvious for quite some time that Gauff is no ordinary teenager. Now she is one win away from becoming a Grand Slam champion.

    Gauff, a 19-year-old from Florida, reached her first final at Flushing Meadows by defeating Muchova 6-4, 7-5 on what was anything but an ordinary evening.

    The toughest part for Gauff might have been closing out the victory: She needed six match points to get it done, raucously supported by a loud, partisan crowd that chair umpire Alison Hughes repeatedly implored to quiet down.

    After failing to convert one match point while serving for the win at 5-3, then another four in what turned out to be the last game, Gauff got the last chance she would need when she smacked a forehand winner to cap a 40-stroke exchange that was the longest of the contest. Muchova then missed a backhand to end it.

    Gauff pumped her fists, waved to the fans and put a finger to her ear, as if to say she wanted to hear even more support.

    “Some of those points, it was so loud, and I don’t know if my ears are going to be OK,” said Gauff, the first American teenager to make it to the title match in New York since Serena Williams in 2001.

    “I grew up watching this tournament so much, so it means a lot to be in the final. A lot to celebrate,” Gauff said. “But the job is not done, so hopefully you can back me on Saturday.”

    She was up by a set and 1-0 in the second when four protesters disrupted play from seats in an upper level of the arena. All four were arrested; three were escorted away relatively quickly, but it took more time to remove the person glued to the ground.

    Both women spent time in the locker room during the delay. When action resumed, the play was pretty even for several games. But then Gauff surged ahead and got her first match point, but Muchova erased that with a volley winner and would go on to break back.

    They would play on for nearly a half-hour.

    With Gauff leading 6-5 and Muchova serving, the one-point-away count kept climbing. Muchova resisted. Gauff was unable to pull through.

    Once. Twice. Three times. Four. In that game alone, Gauff kept getting so near to the finish line. The roars from the seats kept coming. Finally, Gauff completed her 11th win a row and the 17th in her past 18 matches, a run that began after a first-round exit at Wimbledon in July. The streak includes the two biggest titles of Gauff’s career — and now she needs one more win to get an even more important championship.

    She was the runner-up at the 2022 French Open and will try to claim her first Grand Slam title.

    The No. 6-seeded Gauff will face No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus or No. 17 Madison Keys of the U.S. on Saturday.

    Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open in January and is guaranteed to move up to No. 1 in the rankings for the first time next week, and Keys, the runner-up at the 2017 U.S. Open, were scheduled to meet in the second semifinal Thursday night.

    “I may watch some of the match. Maybe not,” Gauff said. “I haven’t thought that far ahead, to be honest.”

    When Gauff and Muchova got started at 7:15 p.m., it was cloudy and considerably cooler than it’s been this week at Flushing Meadows, dropping from nearly 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 Celsius) on Wednesday to the low 80s F (high 20s C).

    NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 07: Coco Gauff of the United States returns a shot against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic during their Women’s Singles Semifinal match on Day Eleven of the 2023 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 07, 2023 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

    Clive Brunskill via Getty Images

    Gauff was terrific in the early stages: She took 12 of the first 16 points for a 3-0 lead after merely 10 minutes.

    One real key in that stretch: Gauff did not let No. 10 seed Muchova, a 27-year-old from the Czech Republic, get comfortable at the net, where her varied style often pays dividends. Muchova lost the point on her first three forays forward — and Gauff curled perfect a lob winner once in each of the opening two games. By match’s end, Muchova had gone just 10 for 24 at the net.

    Gauff went up 5-1, before Muchova raised her level and pulled within 5-4. But Gauff broke to take that opening set.

    Just a few minutes later, though, came the delay. At first, Gauff sat on her sideline chair, using a plastic fork to eat some fruit from a container. Then she got some tennis balls and stepped back on court to hit a few practice serves.

    NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 07: Coco Gauff of the United States serves against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic during their Women's Singles Semifinal match on Day Eleven of the 2023 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 07, 2023 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
    NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 07: Coco Gauff of the United States serves against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic during their Women’s Singles Semifinal match on Day Eleven of the 2023 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 07, 2023 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

    Al Bello via Getty Images

    Muchova asked to be visited by a physiotherapist during the extended break, although it was not immediately clear why. She competed earlier in the tournament with tape near her right elbow and showed up for this match with a full black sleeve on that arm.

    If she wasn’t at 100% — what player is by this point of the season? — Gauff deserved credit for finding the right times to let Muchova miss as opposed to trying to get too aggressive. Muchova made a total of 36 unforced errors, 11 more than Gauff.

    What Gauff also displayed was that she was ready for the moment, the sort of success predicted of her since, at age 15 in 2019, she became the youngest qualifier in Wimbledon history and got to the fourth round there.

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  • Protest stops play during U.S. Open semi-final match between Gauff, Muchová

    Protest stops play during U.S. Open semi-final match between Gauff, Muchová

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    Karolina Muchova of Czech Republic and Coco Gauff of the United States walk to their benches during their Women’s Singles Semifinal match on Day Eleven of the 2023 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 07, 2023 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.

    Elsa | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images

    Play between Coco Gauff and Karolína Muchová during a U.S. Open match was stopped Thursday after an environmental protester “glued his feet to the cement floor,” an announcer said.

    The match between Gauff, of the United States, and Muchová, of Czechia, was delayed for around 40 minutes.

    There were three environmental protesters in all in an upper area, Stacey Allaster, tournament director, said in an interview during coverage of the sporting event.

    Two of those protesters left quietly without incident, she said.

    “When security got there they found that one of the protesters had physically glued themselves in their bare feet to the cement floor,” Allaster said.

    Gauff and Muchová took a seat during the delay. An announcer described it as a protest in the “far reaches” of the stadium.

    The match between the two players was at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, which has 24,000 seats.

    “NYPD are in the process of resolving a fan disturbance. Play will resume as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience,” U.S. Open Tennis tweeted.

    The protester was removed, and play has resumed.

    Police said the incident happened shortly after 8 p.m., and an investigation is ongoing. A person was taken into custody without incident, police said, but their name was not immediately released.

    “We know in these large events, environmental protesters use the platform,” Allaster said. “Certainly, security will be resuming, along with NYPD, to see what else we can do to prevent it in the future.”

    — This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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