Art by Samantha Dunn

On Sept. 9, 2023, Cori “Coco” Gauff won the U.S. Open Women’s Final, becoming the latest African-American woman to achieve one of the most remarkable feats in tennis history. 

At just 19 years old, Coco Gauff beat Aryna Sabalenka, ranked #2 by Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), in three sets (2-6, 6-3, 6-2) in the final. Gauff is the first American teenager to win the country’s major tennis tournament since Serena Williams in 1999. 

Throughout the women’s singles bracket, there were some upsets that shocked the fans. Former U.S. Open champion and #1 ranked Iga Świątek lost to #20 Jeļena Ostapenko, and #6 Ons Jabeur lost to #23 Qinwen Zheng; both matches were in the Round of 16. Although these losses were surprising, the new generation of tennis players are starting to dominate the tennis world, maybe even making it to the podium where top players Serena Williams and Roger Federer both retired last year. 

Gauff is still running strong, although she recently lost to Świątek in the semi-finals of the China Open. Gauff’s dedication and hard work really paid off, and the U.S. Open could be the start of her journey as one of the best tennis players to ever exist. Her victory at the U.S. Open will forever be remembered as her first Grand Slam Title, and fans hope there will be many more to come, considering her age.

On the other hand, Novak Djokovic continues dominating the men’s world of tennis, winning the U.S. Open against Daniil Medvedev (6-3, 77-65, 6-3) in the final. This victory adds one more to his Grand Slam Title collection, now increasing to 24. This is the most anyone has ever had in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), surpassing Rafael Nadal who currently has 22. 

Let’s not forget, however, about the young American prodigy. Similar to Coco Gauff, Ben Shelton, a 20-year-old American, is cruising his way to the top of the rankings. It was a huge surprise to many when it was announced that he would be advancing to the semi-finals to play against Djokovic. Beating #10 Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals (6-2, 3-6, 79-67, 6-2) was a major upset in the tennis community, and it gave hope to the American fans for what could potentially be an American champion. Sadly, Djokovic ended his journey and defeated Shelton (6-3, 6-2, 77-64) in the semi-finals of the tournament.

Tualatin High senior Sutton Christianson shared his thoughts on this tournament. 

“One of the most inspiring parts of the U.S. Open was Novak Djokovic, who once again proved age is just a number,” Christianson said. “However, it was also slightly disappointing because my favorite player, Yoshihito Nishioka, got eliminated in the first round.”

Gauff and Djokovic both coming out victorious have created huge inspiration for those in the tennis community. The fans anticipate the upcoming tournaments and what upsets might arise within. Will Gauff win another title? Will someone else take Djokovic’s spot in the ATP? As a tennis player and fan, I’m excited to see what the future of professional tennis will bring.