Coco Gauff Reflects on Her Cincinnati Breakthrough and the Golden Age of American Women’s Tennis
Two years on from winning her first WTA 1000 title, Gauff reflects on the significance of her breakthrough at the Cincinnati Open and why being part of a strong, diverse USA team is a “beautiful thing.”
Two years on from winning her first WTA 1000 title, Coco Gauff has returned to Cincinnati in a bid to add another tennis accolade to her growing list.
In September of the same year, the American would go on to win her first Slam at the U.S. Open.
Ahead of her opening match of the 2025 Cincinnati Open, at the site of her 2023 success, Gauff discussed how her breakthrough title changed things for her.
“It gave me the belief that I could win a Slam,” she told the media.
“I was searching for a big title; I’d been on tour for a long time and people had those expectations, so for me it meant a lot.
READ MORE : Roger Federer’s Prophetic Wimbledon Warning, How a Rising Star
“It was a great statement tournament and led me to believe that I could beat top players.”
That belief extended to the aforementioned U.S. Open, adding the French Open to her Slam titles earlier this year.
It leaves just the Australian Open and Wimbledon to complete the quartet – at 21, achieving a clean sweep is well within reach.
A golden era of women’s tennis for the USA?
Gauff’s success on the court has helped her return to second in the women’s rankings, one of four Americans inside the top 10.
She is joined by Jessica Pegula at No.4, Madison Keys at No.6, and Amanda Anisimova at No.8. Emma Navarro sits just outside in 11th.
It is a dominant period for the USA, with a representative of the country in each of the past four Slam finals, with Keys’s Australian Open win preceding Gauff’s French title.
RELATED NEWS : Congratulations Coco Gauff Stages Thrilling Comeback to
For the Florida native, there is great pride not only in what they do for the sport but also in how they represent all corners of their country.
“That’s the beautiful thing about being an American – all of us look different,” she said.
“We have biracial, black, white [players], all types of representation for girls and guys to look up to in the top 10, or close to the top 10.
“That’s something beautiful about our country, how diverse it is, and I hope that in this sport it continues to grow.”
Gauff is set to take on Wang Xinyu in the Round of 64 on Saturday (9 August) local.
