15-year-old Coco Gauff claims maiden WTA title at Linz Open after beating 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko in three sets… becoming youngest tour winner in 42 years
- Coco Gauff made history by beating Jelena Ostapenko in three sets, 6-3 1-6 6-2
- After going down in the second set, Gauff showed her fighting spirit in Austria
- It has capped a rapid rise for Gauff, who qualified for Linz Open as a Lucky Loser
Teenage sensation Coco Gauff made history on Sunday by winning her first ever WTA title at the tender age of just 15 at the Linz Open.
The American, who became the youngest player to reach a WTA final since Czech Nicole Vaidisova in 2004, overcame 2017 French Open champion 6-3 1-6 6-2 in the final.
It has capped a remarkable rise for Gauff, who emerged onto the scene in style over the summer by beating seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams en route to the last 16 of Wimbledon.
Coco Gauff wrote her name into the history books on Sunday by winning the Linz Open
The winning moment: Gauff reacts after winning her maiden WTA title in Austria on Sunday
Gauff – who only entered the tournament as a Lucky Loser – started the tournament ranked 110th in the world.
However, she will now move up to 71st in the rankings when they are updated on Monday.
After taking the historic moment, Gauff said: ‘I want to thank God for always supporting me like I wouldn’t be here without him.
It’s been an amazing week and I hope to come back in the future. I’ll definitely remember this moment for the rest of my life.’
The 15-year-old American sensation incredibly entered the tournament as a Lucky Loser
A break of serve in the second game was enough for her to take the opening set against Ostapenko, but the Latvian hit back with three breaks in a rapid-fire second set.
Gauff roared into a 5-0 lead in the third and though she let two match points slip away when serving for the match at 5-1, she took her third on a Hawk-Eye challenge to break Ostapenko’s serve in the next game.
That brought a beaming smile from the youngster, who looked as though she could hardly believe her achievement as she celebrated with her family and training team.
The teenager’s loved ones and team celebrate her historic victory over Jelena Ostapenko