Coco Gauff ‘spent nights crying alone’ earlier than profitable Cincinnati Open title

Coco Gauff is ensuring to savour her Cincinnati Open triumph, after admitting that she had “spent nights crying alone” in her pursuit of sporting success.

The 19-year-old registered her first-ever WTA 1000 title with a 6-3, 6-4 victory in opposition to Czech star Karolina Muchova and in doing so grew to become the youngest-ever winner of the Ohio match.

The Florida-born champion is now sixth on the planet rankings and can shortly flip her consideration to a Grand Slam title tilt on the US Open, however for now, a minimum of, she is greater than content material to take pleasure in her Cincinnati success having put herself by means of the mill to attain her objectives.

Speaking on courtroom after the ultimate, Gauff mentioned: “This is unbelievable, particularly after every part I went by means of earlier in the summertime in Europe, I’m simply comfortable to be right here on this second.

“I’d like to thank my lord and saviour Jesus Christ. I spent a lot of nights alone crying trying to figure it out. I still have a lot to figure out, but I thank him for covering me.”

Gauff’s triumph in Cincinnati has turned heads in the sport, particularly after she defeated world No 1 Iga Swiatek in the semi-final en route to the biggest title in her embryotic career.

The seventh seed, who was facing Muchova for the first time, broke her opponent’s serve three times in the first set before comfortably serving it out to love.

Gauff failed to convert three match points at 5-2 in the second set, but finally got the job done in the next game on her serve to clinch the title.

Muchova struggled to find her rhythm during the match but her run to the final has moved her into the world top 10 for the first time regardless.

Gauff will now be considered one of the favourites to win the US Open, which will get underway on August 28. The American first shot to prominence when she defeated seven instances Wimbledon champion Venus Williams on the All England membership when she was simply 15.

She reached the ultimate of the French Open in 2022, the place she misplaced to Swiatek 1-6, 3-6 however she has by no means gone additional than the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows to date.

With three singles titles to her identify this season, Gauff’s report reads 38/13 for the 12 months, incomes her simply wanting £2m in prize cash in 2023. She has additionally received two doubles titles, doubling her on-court earnings this 12 months.