Coco Gauff's bid to reclaim the US Open crown has ended at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Newly minted world No. 1 Elena Rybakina rallied past the No. 4 seed 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in Thursday's Gauff vs Rybakina semifinal.
Gauff now advances to face Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday's US Open final.
What Went Wrong for Coco Gauff vs Elena Rybakina?
Despite the final score, Gauff controlled the match early, easily winning the first set. But Rybakina adjusted her game on the back of a first-serve percentage that climbed to 76%. She sealed the victory with 21 winners compared to Gauff's 16.
A few shaky service games in the second and third sets also proved costly for the two-time Grand Slam champion, who won the title in Flushing Meadows just three years ago.
“It hurts,” Gauff said. “I think the competitor in me, this is the tournament I want to perform at. I did perform, but the one that you want to come out with a win. It's definitely a learning experience.”
Coco Gauff Details Post-US Open Plans
Still, the loss comes at the end of a productive summer that included a Wimbledon semifinal and a Cincinnati title. Gauff acknowledged the sting but pointed to the bigger picture.
"Right now it sucks," she said. "My dad came up. He was, like, ‘You accomplished so many great things this summer.’ I was, like, ‘I don't care about the summer.' So right now that's where my head is at. I want to be a consistent player. I want to give myself as many opportunities as I can to lift a trophy."
Just 22 years old, Gauff plans to keep building.
"I'm looking at the other semifinalists. They're older than me, like, three, four years older than me," Gauff continued.
"I'm just trying to think of how much work I put into the year, how far I've come. Now I'm just excited to keep putting the work in for another year, another two years, and see where my game can take me. Hopefully it will be on the winning end of matches like this."
