Coco Gauff defeated Karolina Muchova 6-4, 6-3 in a match interrupted by protesters at the US Open.
The American tennis sensation has had her best two weeks at Flushing Meadows, securing six victories that have propelled her to the final of the US Open.
As the World No. 6, Gauff has been one of the local favorites in the tournament and has unquestionably demonstrated her outstanding form over the past month on the hardcourt. Gauff won the Washington Open and the Cincinnati Open, entering the US Open with a remarkable 16-1 record in North American tournaments since Wimbledon.
Her confidence was further boosted by a dominant 6-2, 6-0 victory over Jelena Ostapenko in the quarterfinals, setting her up for a confident run to the semifinals. Waiting for her there was the World No. 10, Karolina Muchova, who had been her rival just two weeks earlier in the final of the WTA 1000 Cincinnati, a match Gauff won.
Muchova quietly progressed through the tournament, capitalizing on the early exits of other favorites in her half of the draw, including World No. 3 Elena Rybakina, Maria Sakkari (8th seed), and Belinda Bencic (15th seed). In the quarterfinals, she defeated the 30th seed, Sorana Cirstea, 6-0, 6-3.
The first set began with Muchova displaying inconsistency and committing unforced errors, allowing Coco Gauff to take a quick lead. Gauff had a 5-1 advantage with two breaks in her favor. Although Muchova staged a comeback by recovering the breaks, Gauff managed to secure the set 6-4, despite the Czech's spirited fight.
At the start of the second set, with Gauff leading 1-0, the match was interrupted by shouts from protesters in the stands. Clearly frustrated by the delay, Muchova and Gauff left the court and headed to the locker rooms, in a pause that lasted for 50 minutes.
The interruption seemed to benefit Muchova, who quickly showed improvement in her service and targeted Gauff's backhand to unsettle her and prevent her from comfortably using her two-handed backhand.
Muchova's best moments came after the timeout, but Gauff kept her composure and secured a break in the eighth game, earning the right to serve for the match. Muchova broke when she needed it most, leveling the score to 5-5 with her service.
After holding her service, the North American found another break under Muchova's pressure and clinched the match 6-4, 7-5.
Thanks to Gauff's victory, the United States will have a female representative in the US Open final after four years, when Serena Williams fell to Bianca Andreescu in 2019. The last American woman to win the championship was Sloane Stephens in 2017.
In the final, Gauff awaits the winner of the match between the new World No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, and another American, Madison Keys.
Gauff d. Karolina Muchova 6-4 7-5 at US Open 19 year old Coco is no longer just the best teenager in women’s tennis. She’s become one of the best players in women’s tennis, period. ✅2nd Slam Final ✅Won 17 of last 18 matches ✅11 match win streak Coco is coming. 🇺🇸❤️
