Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed, prevented an all-American final at the US Open by defeating the seventeenth seed Madison Keys on Thursday night. She will face Coco Gauff, the sixth seed, in the final on Saturday. Both players are vying for their first title in New York.
Gauff secured her spot in her first US Open final by defeating the tenth seed Karolina Muchova with a score of 6-4, 7-5. She is the youngest American to reach the final at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams accomplished the feat in 1999.
Sabalenka has had a successful year, being one of only thirteen women in the Open Era to reach the semifinals in all four Grand Slam tournaments. She won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January, and now she has the opportunity to win her second title.
No. 6 Coco Gauff def. No. 10 Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-5
Gauff initially led 5-1 in the first set, but Muchova made a comeback by winning three consecutive games. However, Gauff managed to break Muchova’s serve and secure the victory. In the second set, the match was interrupted by climate change protesters, causing a delay of approximately 40 minutes. After the interruption, Gauff continued her strong performance and ultimately won the set.
Muchova put up a fight in the second set, saving four match points. However, Gauff prevailed and closed out the match with a lengthy rally. Gauff, who has recently experienced a resurgence in her form, holds a 17-1 record since the arrival of her new coach, Brad Gilbert.
For Gauff, this will be her second Grand Slam final after reaching the title match of the 2022 French Open. She is now just one victory away from capturing her first major title.
“This is crazy. I grew up watching this tournament so much, so it means a lot to be in the final,” Gauff said in her on-court interview. “A lot to celebrate but the job is not done.”
No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka def. No. 17 Madison Keys 0-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (10-5)
Keys started the match strongly, winning the first set without allowing Sabalenka to win a single game. However, Sabalenka remained determined and fought back in the second set, winning a tiebreak with a score of 7-1.
Keys took a medical timeout in the deciding set when she was leading 4-2, but Sabalenka continued to be relentless. Sabalenka forced a tiebreak in the final set and displayed her usual confident playing style.
In the end, Sabalenka triumphed with a score of 7-3 in the tiebreak. Although she prematurely celebrated, thinking the tiebreak was over, she quickly realized her mistake and soon celebrated her victory in earnest.
