Coco Gauff wins 2023 US Open women's singles title

"I feel like I'm a little bit in shock in this moment," Gauff said afterwards. "That French Open loss was a heartbreak for me, but I realize that God puts you through tribulations and trials, and that makes this moment even sweeter than I could've imagined.

"I just knew that if I didn't give it my all, I had no shot at winning."

In all, Sabalenka racked up 46 unforced errors in the match to 25 winners. Sixth-seeded Gauff, meanwhile, hit 13 winners to 19 unforced errors, but in the deciding set, hit five winners to just two unforced miscues. 

"In first set I was dealing with my emotions quite good," Sabalenka said afterwards. "I was focused on myself, not on the crowd or the way she move.

"She was moving just unbelievable today. But then the second set I start probably overthinking, and because of that I start kind of like losing my power. Then she start moving better. I start missing a lot of easy shots.

"There was key moments in ... the moments I lost, and those moments helped her to turn around the game."

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WHAT IT MEANS: 

The 19-year-old came into these championships as the hottest player on the WTA Tour, having won lead-in titles in Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati, and checked off milestones with every victory. The title in the nation's capital was her first at WTA 500 level, and her triumph in Ohio was her first WTA 1000. 

Now, she has a Grand Slam title to add to the trophy case.

Since a first-round loss to Sofia Kenin at Wimbledon, Gauff is 18-1 in her last 19 matches played, with her only loss coming to fellow American Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals in Montreal. Twelve of those have been in a row, marking the longest winning streak of her career to date. 

While Sabalenka will rise to world No. 1 on Monday as a result of bettering Swiatek's run at this tournament, Gauff, too, will hit a career-high ranking as a result of her triumph. She'll be the new world No. 3 in singles, and, as a bonus, will rise to co-No. 1 with Pegula in doubles.

MATCH POINT:

Four of Gauff's seven wins for the fortnight came in three sets. In addition to her come-from-behind triumph in the final, she rallied from a set down in her Round 1 and Round 3 wins against Laura Siegemund and Elise Mertens, respectively, and also beat former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in a fourth-round thriller.