Coco Gauff wins Linz Open women's tennis final to capture first WTA title

Coco Gauff, shown in action during the U.S. Open in August, won her first WTA singles title in Linz, Austria.

Coco Gauff, shown in action during the U.S. Open in August, won her first WTA singles title in Linz, Austria.

Cori "Coco" Gauff became the youngest tennis player in 15 years to win a WTA title, earning a three-set victory against Jelena Ostapenko in the final of the Linz Open.

Gauff, 15, who was born in Atlanta, won 6-3, 1-6, 6-2, the BBC reported. She gained entry into the main draw as a "lucky loser" after falling in the final round of qualifying, the network reported.

Gauff is the youngest WTA singles title winner since 2004, when another 15-year-old, Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic, won in Tashkent, Reuters reported.

"It has been an amazing week. I hope to come back here again. I will remember this moment for the rest of my life," Gauff said in her on-court speech to the crowd after the match.

Gauff won five matches in the main draw, including a quarterfinal victory against top-seeded Kiki Bertens and a win in the semifinals against Andrea Petkovic. Sunday, she knocked off Ostapenko, 22, the 2017 French Open champion.

"I’m still overwhelmed and shocked,” Gauff told reporters at a post-match news conference. “I guess it’s crazy to say it’s my first WTA title.

“My dad told me when I got in, before the first main-draw match, ‘You can’t lose twice in the same tournament.’ I’m sure he never thought it would come this far, to being the champion, but I guess he was right.”

About the Author