The 14-year-old Cori Gauff has been one of the biggest prospects in the women’s tennis and her 2018 season was nothing but great, standing as the youngest player on the WTA ranking list and also among the best juniors in the world! Delray Beach resident already had a chance to work at the prestigious Mouratoglou Tennis Academy and meet her idol Serena Williams, setting her goals high in the quest to become the biggest player of all time. The other players born in 2004 are only making their first steps on the ITF Junior Tour but thanks to her immense talent and amazing physical abilities, Cori has already pushed the age limits and achieved what only a few players were capable of in the last 20 years or so.
The American is ranked inside the Top 900 on the WTA ranking list after winning two matches back in May and June, passing three qualifying rounds at both events against much older and experienced rivals to become the first player of her generation with professional triumphs under her belt.
In addition, she was the player to beat in juniors as well despite being the youngest player in every draw she has entered so far, playing in just 12 events so far but becoming world number 1 back in July! At the age of 13, Cori was the US Open finalist in 2017, losing the title match to Amanda Anisimova but forging the way for an even better 2018 when she continued to amaze.
Arriving in Paris to compete in only her eighth junior event on the ITF level, Cori Gauff went all the way to lift the title and become the fourth-youngest Roland Garros champion after Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati and Gabriela Sabatini despite being by far the youngest player in the draw and the only one from her generation! Roehampton was the player to beat in Roehampton as well, conquering the junior throne at the age of 14 and reaching the quarter-final at Wimbledon, US Open and Mundial Juvenil Yucatan to keep herself inside the top-3.
Gauff closed the historic season at the Orange Bowl where she won the U12 title just two years ago. Following her amazing improvement in the last year or so, Cori was now the top seed and the favorite for the U18 title and she didn’t fail to deliver, beating the 2nd seed Qinwen Zheng 6-1 3-6 6-4 to wrap up another big title and most probably end her junior career at the moment her coevals are just starting it! It was a great battle on the Har-Tru clay court at the Veltri Tennis Center, with Zheng trying to win the second big title in a row after conquering Eddie Herr.
Trailing 4-2 in the decider, Gauff broke back in the eighth game and she fends off three break points in the crucial following game, breaking the Chinese at 15 in game 10 to cross the finish line and lift the trophy. Cori is among the youngest champions here in the last 25 years or so together with Nicole Vaidisova and Anna Kournikova and has set her eyes on much bigger goals in 2019, seeking the place in the top-100 on the WTA list.
Final result:
[1]Cori Gauff (USA) vs [2]Qinwen Zheng (CHN) 6-1 3-6 6-4 |
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