Gauff turns heartache into happiness

Only this week, the 21-year-old conceded she had all but written herself off before the first ball was struck against a dominant Iga Swiatek in the 2022 final – her first on a Grand Slam stage.

The underlying acceptance that it was all part of a longer road to the ultimate prize never disappeared, however, and after she denied Sabalenka from a set down for the 2023 US Open crown, she did so again – this time 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4.

While she wavered with a 3-1 lead in the third set, she stayed mentally stronger under pressure and handled the trying, blustery conditions better than her opponent, whom she fell to in the Madrid final last month.

Before the pair walked onto Court Philippe-Chatrier, a pre-recorded interview beamed Gauff onto the big screen declaring the belief her father Corey instilled in her from a young age.

“I'd like to thank my parents. You keep me grounded and give me the belief I can do it, so I really appreciate it,” Gauff said. “I'd also like to thank the crowd for really helping me today. You guys were cheering for me so hard and I don't know what I do to deserve so much love from the French crowd.

“I didn't think honestly that I could win but I'm actually going to quote [US rapper] Tyler, The Creator right here and he said ‘if I ever told you I had a doubt inside me I must be lying’. I'd like to leave that with you guys.

“I think I was lying to myself and definitely could do it, so shout out to Tyler and shout out to you guys. Thank you, Paris.”

So often at her best with her back to the wall, Gauff almost snuck the unwinnable first set from 1-4 down and fended off two set points against Sabalenka only to succumb in a tiebreak after 78 minutes.

For many it would have prompted an emotional letdown that threatened to blow open the match, but stoic throughout, Gauff was a model of composure and consistency.

The American pushed early in the second set, pounced on her opponent’s erratic bursts and soon opened up a double-break lead for 4-1.

The wind was in her sails and in just shy of two hours, she had levelled the showdown at a set apiece.

Momentum was now firmly on the young protaganist’s side and when Sabalenka double-faulted to surrender the early break in the decider, Sabalenka needed to conjure something special to keep hopes of winning a fourth Grand Slam title and first away from a hard court alive.

Having snapped four-time champion Iga Swiatek’s 26-match winning streak in the semi-finals after losing the second set, Sabalenka would have to do so again and from 1-3 down, she managed to pull back level.

Unlike her defeat of the Pole, however, in which she did not commit a single unforced error in the final set, her mistakes under pressure in the title match ultimately proved her undoing.

The No.1 seed saved one match point when she went for broke and caught the line, but three straight unforced errors – she finished with 70 to her opponent’s 30 and 37 winners to Gauff’s 30 – sealed her fate.

Lifting herself from the ground, Gauff stared at her parents, hand over mouth in shock – surprised the result had fallen her way.

Three years on, tears of disappointment made way for tears of elation. Doubts had crept in but the belief was always there.