Coco Gauff wins fourth singles title at Mubadala Citi DC Open, first WTA-500 win in US

Posted : 07 August 2023

Coco Gauff, hailing from the United States, concluded a near-perfect week at the Mubadala Citi DC Open by triumphing over Greek World No.9 Maria Sakkari with a score of 6-2, 6-3 in the women's final.

This victory marked Gauff's fourth singles title of her career and her inaugural win at a WTA-500 event. Notably, it also stood as her very first singles title on home soil in the United States.

Reflecting on this achievement, Gauff expressed, "It means a lot to me really. Any American tournament I think is special, but I feel like even more here. I have played Cincinnati and I have played other tournaments in the U.S., even last year in San Jose when this was in San Jose, but I think that there is just something about D.C."

In a match lasting one hour and 24 minutes, Gauff clinched her fourth straight-sets triumph in as many matches throughout the week. Her remarkable journey included victories against Hailey Baptiste, Belinda Bencic, and defending champion Liudmila Samsonova.

This achievement occurred in Gauff's first tournament appearance following her first-round exit at Wimbledon. Notably, at 19 years old, Gauff now holds the distinction of being the youngest women's champion in the history of the tournament.

Gauff expressed her excitement, stating, "Being the youngest to win this tournament is pretty cool. I mean, I'm looking at the names on that [awning of past champions] and one of my main motivations was really to be on that wall, so I'm really happy that it will remain here for as long as the tournament stays here, hopefully forever."

This victory is the culmination of Gauff's first week with her new support team. While she began working with full-time coach Pera Riba in June, this tournament marked the first collaboration with legendary coach and TV commentator Brad Gilbert, who joined Gauff as a consultant.

Gauff shared her satisfaction with the results, saying, "I'm glad that we were able to make this result. I know those who were with me at Wimbledon, it was really tough a couple of weeks ago. We were all feeling it. I'm glad I was able to bounce back."

Additionally, Gauff previously won the WTA doubles title in Washington in 2019 alongside partner Caty McNally. This recent victory marks Gauff's second singles title of the year, adding to her success in Auckland, and enhances her overall record to 2-4 against Sakkari.

Reflecting on Gauff's growth, Sakkari acknowledged, "Mentally she looks a lot more mature. She knows what she's doing on the court. She's a top player. There was all this hype for a reason. She wasn't just, you know, a one-off thing that she was just good when she was 15. She's consistent and that shows her level."

Sakkari, also returning to competition after an early Wimbledon exit, voiced her enthusiasm about her performance, noting, "It was an incredible week. I'm not going to lie, it's pretty disappointing. But at the same time, a month ago I didn't think I would be here."

Her successful week included victories over U.S. Open finalists Leylah Fernandez and Madison Keys before reaching the finals against Gauff. Sakkari is optimistic that this finals appearance will provide a strong foundation for the upcoming U.S. Open.

Sakkari expressed her aspirations, saying, "You know, that's the goal. That's what I want to, you know, have the good Grand Slam. It's the last one of the season, so for me, it's going to be big if I can do well. I'm playing great tennis. I still have two very big tournaments ahead of me before the Open. I'm hoping for good results in those two, and then hopefully things can go my way."

In other events on championship Sunday, Argentine doubles pair Maximo Gonazlez and Andres Molteni rallied to secure their fourth title of the season by defeating the All-American duo of Mackenzie McDonald and Ben Shelton with a score of 6-7, 6-2, 10-6. McDonald and Shelton were competing in their first ATP Tour final together.

Coco Gauff wins fourth singles title at Mubadala Citi DC Open, first WTA-500 win in US

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