Delray Beach's Coco Gauff set for US Open final rematch at Australian Open semifinals
UPDATE: Coco Gauff reacts to her Australian Open defeat.
Nobody has touched Coco Gauff in 2024 as she’s reeled off 10 straight victories Down Under. But now the toughest battle lies ahead for the Delray Beach resident in what should be a spectacular rematch of their U.S. Open final classic.
It’s Coco vs. Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open semifinals with the first ball slated for late Wednesday night in Melbourne. Last September, the 19-year-old Gauff rallied from a set down to shock the favored Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to win her first Grand Slam championship.
And now they meet again in the next Grand Slam event. Sabalenka can’t wait after her power game became too erratic in the final two sets at Flushing Meadows as Coco became a rock of consistency.
Sabalenka, ranked 2nd, is the defending Aussie Open champion.
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“I love it, I love it,’’ Sabalenka said after her 6-2, 6-3 quarterfinal win over Barbora Krejcikova. “After U.S. Open, I really wanted that revenge. That's a great match. It's always great battles against Coco, with really great fights. I'm super excited to play that semifinal match.’’
Gauff, coming off the championship at the Aussie tuneup event in Adelaide, leads the career series vs. the more flamboyant Sabalenka, 4-2, and won their only meeting in a major at the 2023 Open. Back-to-back Grand Slam titles would place Gauff into an even higher stratosphere of expectation.
“Obviously Aryna, always a tough match with her,’’ Gauff said. “I think she's playing well this tournament. That U.S. Open final was tough. Yeah, I think it's going to be a tough match. I think these are the later stages of a Grand Slam, (she’s) in good form.’’
Gauff, ranked No. 4, has won both her previous Grand Slam semifinals. That includes the French Open in 2022 after which she lost in the final to her nemesis Iga Swiatek, who has been eliminated here.
“I think definitely being in the semis a couple of times before definitely doesn't make it a big achievement but I think when you have the experience, you don't feel like it's your last time ever reaching this,’’ Gauff said. “It does give me confidence knowing that at least in that stage of a Grand Slam that my nerves are usually settled. Hopefully I can go out there and be settled.’’
Sabalenka has been a model of consistency herself. She’s now made the semifinals of the last six majors, dating to the 2022 US Open - a fantastic achievement in this era of unprecedented parity. It’s the longest semifinal streak at the majors since Serena Williams (10 straight between 2014 to 2017).
Gauff has finally found the championship formula under coach Brad Gilbert, who joined forces with Coco last summer. Gauff’s newfound mental toughness added to athleticism has made her largely unbeatable. Sabalenka, who has more power, was too impatient against Coco at the Open and didn’t mix it up enough. That could change in Australia as she admits to being calmer on the court.
“I think my mindset that I'm not getting crazy on court, I'm not rushing things,’’ Sabalenka said. “I'm just playing point by point, and that's it.’’
“She's moving really well,’’ Sabalenka added of Coco. “ Everything you do on court, it's coming back. So you need to build the point probably a couple times in one point to have that easy shot to finish the point. So that's why she's really tough opponent. She's a great player, and I'm really excited to play her.’’
Coco Gauff struggles in quarterfinal win over Marta Kostyuk
Gauff’s quarterfinal victory late Tuesday wasn’t one she was too proud of. She survived a three-hour, three-setter over unseeded Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk 7-6 (8), 6-7 (3), 6-2. Gauff called it her “C game’’ but showed mettle in erasing a 5-1 first-set lead to win in a tiebreaker.
“I was just, like, let me make it competitive,’’ Gauff said. “Sometimes when you're down 5-1 you're not expecting to win the set.’’
Gauff committed 51 unforced errors, 9 double-faults and posted a modest 17 winners. Her forehand, which had been spotty in 2023 before last summer, looked shaky again.
“Didn’t play my best tennis but really proud that I was able to get through,’’ Gauff said. “ Hopefully got the bad match out of the way and I can play even better.”
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Gauff has never forgotten her Palm Beach County roots. Her recent New Balance shoe that came out has the coordinates written of Pompey Park, the Delray Beach courts she first played on.
Her parents, Candy and Cori, flew to Australia to be with their teenage daughter and Coco said she’s played cards with them every day. Candy just became a video sensation after she caught on a fly an errant tennis ball during the match and then bounced up and down like she just won the World Series.
When asked about it, Gauff teased her mother, smiling the whole time. “I did not see it,’’ Gauff said. “I heard somebody in the crowd say mom caught it. Then I saw the video of her celebrating. I was, like, it wasn't that hard of a ball to catch. You know, celebrate your little wins. I'm sure you guys have seen from U.S. Open videos she likes to celebrate in crazy ways. Her son (Codey) is a catcher, so she should make that.’’
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When Gauff faced Sabalenka in the U.S. Open finals, the Floridian was still the underdog. Now she feels the hunted.
“There is definitely a change in just the energy,’’ Gauff said. “You do feel like you're the one to beat and I feel like people step on court and they play more free and want to play their best games because there's no pressure. But at the same time, when I was young, nobody wanted to lose to, a 15-year-old, so I felt people played really hard too. There's a quote, 'it's not easy to get to the top, but it’s easier to get to the top (and) harder to stay there.' I'm not at the top but I'm up there.’’
When is Coco Gauff's next match?
Gauff will play Sabalenka in the Australian Open semifinal at 3:30 a.m. Thursday morning EST. The match will air on ESPN and stream on ESPN+, and it will be rebroadcast at noon Thursday on ESPN2.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Coco Gauff vs. Aryna Sabalenka in Australian Open semifinals
