A new queen of tennis might have just been crowned in Flushing, New York on Saturday, Sept. 9. Coco Gauff has broken through for her first career Grand Slam, defeating new world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in three sets (2-6, 6-3, 6-2) to claim the US Open Women's Championship.

A packed Arthur Ashe Stadium celebrated as the 19-year-old released all of the emotions that fueled her to this signature feat. Sabalenka made quick work of the first set before Gauff flipped the switch. She neutralized her opponent's ample power with extensive court movement while maintaining her composure in the key moments. After being soundly defeated by Iga Swiatek in the 2022 French Open Final, Gauff thrived on a big stage.

It was only a matter of time for Coco Gauff

Greatness was foretold for Gauff when she advanced to the second week of Wimbledon at just 15 years of age in 2019. There is a long way to go before the prophecy can be written, but perhaps this was the first chapter. Fans will immediately draw the parallels to Serena Williams, with Gauff becoming the first teenager to win the US Open since the 23-time major champion did so in 1999, per The Tennis Letter.

But there is no reason to move immediately past this special achievement and look to the future. The Atlanta, Georgia native overcame a challenging draw that included the returning Caroline Wozniacki, hard-hitting Jelena Ostapenko and a pillar of consistency in Aryna Sabalenka (two No. 1 rankings and three major titles between them).

Regardless of how one feels about Brad Gilbert, his tutelage cannot be ignored. Coco Gauff has reached her best form yet. She withstood the pressure and scrutiny to cement her name in tennis history. Sustaining excellence is possibly the most difficult thing to do in sports, but the journey to obtaining that first taste of excellence must not be taken for granted, either.