Photo credit: Hannah Peters - Getty Images
At 19 years old, American tennis player Coco Gauff claims the title once again in the final moments of the ASB Classic Final. After going up against the two-time Australian Open quarterfinalist Ukrainian competitor Elina Svitolina (29).
It Is Not Always Smooth Sailing
After a pretty easy week of wins for Gauff, the finals allocated her a challenge. Gauff took around four hours to make it to the final, whereas Svitolina took about double as much time. Despite this, Svitolina proved to be a powerful competitor for Gauff. A competitor to keep in mind when it comes time for Melbourne. Svitolina caused a rocky first set where Gauff lost in a tiebreak 6-7(4)—marking this as her first time losing a set at Auckland after an 18-set winning streak.
Gauff said,"I think today level-wise was definitely not my best match or best level this week, but sometimes when you win when you're not playing your best, it makes you feel more satisfied."
Although Gauff was not her best, she successfully defended her previous title. Pushing through to bounce back and win the following two sets, 6-3 and 6-3. She scored 108 points and three aces. Usually, her serves are the principal to her game, achieving upwards of around ten aces per game. However, this time, she had to problem-solve without it.
BACK TO BACK BABY 🏆#ASBClassic24 | @WTA pic.twitter.com/acXGr0SDLs
— ASB Classic (@ASB_Classic) January 7, 2024
When All Else Fails; Persevere
“It gives me a lot of confidence, especially sometimes when you’re playing a tournament and some of the matches are going pretty easily for the score line,” Gauff said. “It was cool to see how I was able to react under pressure, especially after losing the first set when I was up."
“So I’m happy with the mental fight I showed today."
As an athlete, only some game days are going to be your best day playing-wise. However, it is vital to show up and play your best regardless. This is precisely what Gauff showed us at Auckland—not allowing one loss to dictate the rest of her game. After the first set, fans were anxiously on the edge of their seats, waiting to see how Gauff responded to the challenge posed to her. The committed player didn't let anyone down. She quickly remedied her loss to come back and take her well-deserved title. This final set proved great practice for Gauff, as the competition will only get more difficult. Rather than sweep through winning all her sets easily- a challenging game such as this final gives her a chance to grow and practice her physical and mental skills.
This win marks Gauff's seventh WTA title - taking the tennis world by storm being only the fourth player to win consecutive WTA titles at the ASB Classic.
