In the past two decades, women’s tennis was largely dominated by players from the US, led by the legendary Williams sisters, who grabbed most of the major titles during their peak.
However, the landscape has shifted in recent years, with European players rising to prominence. Stars like Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina have emerged as dominant forces, collectively claiming most of the recent Grand Slam titles and redefining the WTA scene.
Despite this European surge, a new generation of American talent is beginning to make its mark, with Coco Gauff at the forefront, signalling a potential resurgence of American dominance in women’s tennis.
With Madison Keys winning the Australian Open this January, and Gauff winning the recently concluded French Open — both defeating world No. 1 and title favourite Aryna Sabalenka, US women’s players are starting to perform at the biggest stages once again. Other top players like Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro, Amanda Anisimova, and Peyton Stearns are also performing consistently on the WTA Tour.
Now, it looks like world No. 2 Coco Gauff, who’s showing genuine talent, skill, and intelligence, is ready to lead the American charge in women’s tennis. Let’s take a look at her beginnings and major wins.
Career and playing style
Gauff is a former world No. 1 on the junior circuit. At 13 years of age, she became the youngest Junior Girls’ Singles finalist at the 2017 US Open, where she lost to Amanda Anisimova. Gauff won her first career junior title at the 2018 French Open, defeating Caty McNally in three sets. One month later, she became the world No. 1 junior when she defeated McNally again at the Grade 1 Junior International in Roehampton. She won her first junior doubles title partnering McNally at the 2018 US Open. She also won the Junior Fed Cup with the USA.
Gauff received a wild card for the 2019 US Open but lost in the first qualifying round. It was later at Wimbledon in 2020 that she made her Grand Slam debut in the main draw — becoming the youngest player at 15 years and three months to enter the Wimbledon main draw in the Open era. She defeated five-time champion Venus Williams on her debut before losing in the fourth round to Simona Halep. This is how she announced herself to the tennis world, and she hasn’t looked back since.
Gauff has an aggressive playing style — possessing an explosive serve and a very consistent double-handed backhand. She also has great agility and speed for court coverage. Hard courts are her favourite, as they help her generate pace on her shots. Her forehand, though, could use some work, as most opponents favour hitting to that side to win points against her.
Major title wins
Since making her senior debut, Gauff has won ten WTA titles, including two Grand Slams — the US Open in 2023 and the French Open in 2025 — defeating Aryna Sabalenka in both finals. She also became the first American to win at Roland-Garros since Serena Williams last claimed the title in 2015.
Gauff has also won two WTA 1000 titles — at the Cincinnati Open in 2023 and the China Open in 2024. She added the WTA Finals crown to her collection in 2024, defeating Qinwen Zheng in the final to become the youngest player to win the year-end event since Maria Sharapova in 2004.
Gauff is also a strong doubles player. She won the 2024 French Open women’s doubles title with Katerina Siniaková, defeating the Italian pair of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in the final. She has also won three WTA 1000 doubles titles with Jessica Pegula.
Conclusion
While Coco Gauff is still early in her career, her two Grand Slam titles already signal a bright and promising future. It would be unfair, at this stage, to expect her to replicate the legendary career of Serena Williams, who won 23 major singles titles, as such comparisons will only put further pressure on a 21-year-old still growing into her game.
That said, Gauff has already demonstrated remarkable poise under pressure and an ability to rise to the occasion on the biggest stages. Her age also works in her favour, as she has ample time to refine her skills, develop her game, and build the consistency needed to stay at the top for years to come.
Gauff has risen through the ranks the hard way — grinding through the junior circuit and ITF tournaments to establish herself as one of the elites in women’s tennis. Now ranked world No. 2, she stands on the cusp of greatness. Her next step will be to consistently defeat the top contenders, win the biggest titles, and ultimately claim the coveted world No. 1 ranking.
At just 21 years old, the sky is truly the limit for Gauff. Alongside talented compatriots like Madison Keys, Emma Navarro, and Amanda Anisimova, she could help the US reclaim the top spot in women’s tennis, ushering in a new golden era of American dominance.
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