Coco Gauff's journey in her tennis career has been anything but straightforward. She has grappled with the weight of expectations, navigated through periods of stagnation after her initial rapid rise, and faced both media scrutiny and on-court challenges. However, despite these obstacles, Gauff finds herself in a position of great promise. She continued her remarkable summer breakthrough at the US Open by defeating Jelena Ostapenko 6-0, 6-2 in just 68 minutes to reach her first career semi-final at the tournament.
Since her early exit at Wimbledon, Gauff has won 16 of her last 17 matches, claiming major titles in Washington and Cincinnati before her impressive US Open run. She becomes the first American teenager to reach the semi-finals of her home Grand Slam tournament since Serena Williams in 2001.
Gauff acknowledges the difficulties she has faced to reach the quarter-final stage and expresses her sense of freshness and pride in her ability to navigate challenging matches. Despite her youth, she demonstrates resilience and maturity on the court.
In terms of scheduling, the US Open made an unconventional decision to hold the highly anticipated match between Gauff and Ostapenko at 12 pm in the New York heat and humidity, rather than in the evening. Gauff, accustomed to practicing in the scorching Florida sun, was better prepared for the conditions than her opponent.
Ostapenko struggled from the outset, committing numerous unforced errors and displaying visible frustration. Gauff's speed and defensive skills made her a formidable opponent, retrieving seemingly impossible balls and maintaining the consistency of her forehand.
Ostapenko, who had played a late-night match against Iga Swiatek in the previous round, found it challenging to recover and adapt to the day match. She ended the match with more unforced errors (36) than total points won (35).
Looking ahead, Gauff will face either Karolina Muchova or Sorana Cirstea in the semi-finals. She attributes her recent success to her enjoyment of the game, which has been further enhanced by her coaches, Brad Gilbert and Pere Riba. Gauff emphasizes the importance of having fun while competing, which has played a significant role in her improved performance.