A poster for the forthcoming US Open features a picture of a beaming Coco Gauff above the slogan: “Spectacular awaits”. The choice of player is beyond reproach, the words already out of date.
With a week to go until things get underway at Flushing Meadows, spectacular has arrived. Spectacular was in the building from the moment Gauff claimed the finest victory of her career against Iga Swiatek to reach a first WTA 1000 final in Cincinnati, and it remained in the 19-year-old American’s corner as she defeated Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4 to secure the biggest title of her life.
That is not to say the tennis itself was particularly extraordinary. After the exertions of the previous day, when Muchova repeated her French Open semi-final victory over Aryna Sabalenka, sending the Belarusian world No 2 the same way as Swiatek, the combatants were too battle-weary to give of their very best. “When I woke up this morning, the first thing I said was ‘Ouch,’” Muchova quipped afterwards. Gauff, meanwhile, rated her performance a six out of 10, which felt about right.
Whatever the match lacked in quality, however, was counterbalanced by the magnitude of Gauff’s achievement over the course of a memorable week’s work. By her serene progress to one of the most significant titles of the North American hard-court swing, for the loss of just a single set. By her ability to handle the weight of the moment, the expectations of her home crowd, the unique style of a player she had never previously encountered. Above all, by the convergence of her innate talent with a champion’s mentality, one that enabled her to shrug off both a modest serving performance and the intense heat and humidity on a day when the mercury touched 33C.
“Today [was] probably like a six, to be honest,” said Gauff. “I was not serving that well. But mentally, a 10. I mean, my biggest weapon was not working and I was still able to manage. Overall, this week, I would say probably a nine.
“I think today, level-wise, was our worst match. I think Karolina might say the same.
“It was tough, I think physically we both were feeling the impact of yesterday. I was just able to persevere a little bit more in that final push.”
Among the many intriguing aspects of a first meeting between two players with starkly contrasting styles was how Gauff would counter Muchova’s singular array of slices, drop shots and net rushing. If the American was in any doubt that she faced a very different challenge to that posed by Swiatek, she was disabused of the notion as early as the first game, where Muchova teased her forward with a drop shot before conjuring a delicious chipped backhand pass. It was shot-making redolent of another era, one where grass courts were ubiquitous and wooden rackets held sway, but such moments would be few and far between for the Czech.
On the eve of her 27th birthday, Muchova gave everything, just as she did throughout a week in which she went the distance in every round bar the quarter-finals. But she struggled physically from the outset and, having been broken three times in the opening set, she quickly fell 5-2 behind in the second.
“I was a little tired coming into the match,” said Muchova. “I knew I had to play fast today, not be in the rallies, because it’s been many three-setters here for me, long matches, tough matches.”
The urgency of Muchova’s need to press was reflected in 35 unforced errors. Yet her extravagant gifts are allied with the heart of a warrior and, as Gauff stepped up to serve for the championship, Muchova threatened another improbable recovery, fending off three match points to prolong the contest. The manner in which she saved the second, conducting a probing examination of Gauff’s forehand, gave the teenager ample opportunity to dwell on the technical deficiencies she has sought to address since the addition of Pere Riba and Brad Gilbert to her coaching team.
But, as Swiatek discovered in the previous round, defeating Gauff is no longer simply a matter of peppering her weaker wing. Improved footwork and a stronger sense of when to attack and when to play with greater margin have seen to that. So too has a growing ability to trust in her talent at the key moments.
“I think on those [first] match points I was like, ‘Just get the ball in’, and I think that was the wrong mentality,” said Gauff.
“Then, in the [final] service game I just told myself, ‘Just close how you know how to close, which is hitting your spots and going for your shots.’ That’s what I did.”
While Muchova will find some consolation in claiming a place in the world’s top 10 for the first time, Gauff heads to New York riding a wave of momentum. After claiming her first WTA 500 title a fortnight ago in Washington, the teenager has won 11 of her past 12 matches, a quarter-final defeat in Montreal to her doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, the sole blemish on her American summer. Buoyed by the knowledge that she finally has the beating of Swiatek on a hard court, Gauff must be regarded as a genuine title contender at Flushing Meadows.
“You give it your all, that’s all you can do,” said Gauff. “I’m going to give it my all in the US Open. If things go great, that’s exciting. If not, I go back and work hard and get ready for the next one. That’s the mentality you have to have.”