Fresh off Auckland title, Coco Gauff congratulates fellow Americans on United Cup 2023 triumph
It was a day to remember for American tennis, with Coco Gauff winning her third career WTA title at the ASB Classic in Auckland, while her friends and colleagues on tour combined to win the United Cup title for Team USA. The 18-year-old expressed her joy over the United Cup victory, congratulating the team for winning the title for their country.
Jessica Pegula, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Madison Keys, Denis Kudla, Hunter Reese, Desirae Krawczyk, and Alycia Parks were part of Team USA that clinched the inaugural United Cup with a victory over Team Italy. Meanwhile, Gauff made light work of Rebeka Masarova in the Auckland final on Sunday, winning 6-1, 6-1.
Gauff took to social media to congratulate her compatriots on their victory in Sydney.
"Go team," Coco Gauff wrote on Instagram, alongside emojis of the American flag, expressing her pride in the team.
More than the wins, it was the sheer dominance displayed by both Gauff and the American United Cup team en route to their respective titles that was quite impressive to witness.
Pegula, Fritz, Tiafoe, and co. won their semifinal against Poland and the final against Italy without losing a single match across both ties, recording a 9-0 run. Fritz sealed the deal in the final with a thrilling 7-6(4), 7-6(6) win against Matteo Berrettini.
Meanwhile, top seed Gauff did not drop a single set throughout her ASB Classic campaign, dropping a mere 22 games across five matches in Auckland.
How Coco Gauff ran through the draw to clinch the title in her first tournament of 2023
Coco Gauff began her ASB Classic campaign with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Tatjana Maria to set up a clash against fellow American and 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, whom she beat 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals.
She then defeated China's Zhu Lin 6-3, 6-2 in the last-8 match, before 'bagelling' 7th seed Danka Kovinic en route to a comprehensive 6-0, 6-2 win in the semifinals. The 2022 French Open finalist dropped only two games in the final against Masarova to win the title in her first ever singles tournament as the top seed.
The World No. 7 will now move her focus towards the Australian Open, where she lost in the opening round last season. Gauff's best result at the Melbourne Major was a run to the fourth round in the 2020 edition, during which she beat Venus Williams and Naomi Osaka.