Rishi Bala ‘25, Sports Editor

Image of Coco Gauff, Courtesy of People Magazine

With the conclusion of the 2023 US Open Tennis Championships, it is safe to say that another chapter of tennis history has been written. From 19-year-old American Coco Gauff winning her first Grand Slam title to 36-year-old Novak Djokovic winning his 24th, the 143rd edition of the US Open brought a myriad of incredible comebacks, major upsets and nail-biting marathons.

On the women’s side, Gauff staged an unbelievable comeback against the new No. 1 ranked player, Aryna Sabalenka. After losing the first set, Gauff stormed back and took the next two sets, becoming the 11th teenager ever to win a Grand Slam singles title. In an incredibly intense and high-level match, Gauff’s unrelenting pressure and lightning-fast speed wore down her opponent to secure the championship, solidifying Gauff as the future of American tennis.

Gauff first broke out onto the world stage as a 15-year-old in the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, where she reached the fourth round and defeated her idol, tennis legend Venus Williams. Now, Gauff has won her first Grand Slam and has entered the top three in the world rankings. Earlier this summer, she won her first Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 title, the second-highest level in women’s tennis. Now, she has become the first American to win the US Open since 2017. In her on-court interview, Gauff said to her doubters, “Honestly, thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me. A month ago, I won a 500 and people said I would stop at that. Two weeks ago, I won a 1000 title and people said that was the biggest it was going to get. Three weeks later, I’m here with this trophy right now.”

While the women’s side highlighted a brand new, young champion, the men’s side showcased the exact opposite. Djokovic, a returning powerhouse, won his record-extending 24th Grand Slam title, solidifying his status as a titan of the sport and becoming the oldest US Open champion in the tournament’s lengthy history. At 36 years old, most tennis players are retired or nearing retirement, but Djokovic shows no signs of slowing down, having won three out of the four Grand Slams this year. To win this title, he faced former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev in the final and won in straight sets, although it was far from an easy victory.

From the start, the match was a war of attrition with extremely long rallies, but Djokovic’s concentration and unrelenting focus ultimately helped him prevail. The second set alone took over 100 minutes, with continuous changes in momentum and seemingly never-ending points. Some perfect shots at the right time, though, secured Djokovic the second set in a tiebreaker and set him up for a 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 victory. It was sweet revenge for Djokovic who fell to Medvedev in the 2021 US Open finals.

Whether a returning champion or a young talent, it is clear that Djokovic and Gauff both have an unmatched commitment and a love for the game. Together, this edition of the US Open Tennis Championships has brought us a hefty dose of history, some incredible matches and a fantastic end to the 2023 Grand Slam season. With such great entertainment, the sport has reached new heights and is being discussed worldwide, including in our own Newark Academy community. Eddie Ho ‘25, a current NA varsity tennis member, for example, said that he particularly enjoyed watching the young American Coco Gauff grow as a player this past summer. Although there will be no more Grand Slams this year, tennis fans across the globe cannot wait for the upcoming ending of the 2023 tennis season and the next Grand Slam event, the Australian Open, in January.