Surging at the end of each set, Gauff defeated Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 in the DC Open women’s final on Sunday for the fourth WTA Tour singles title of her career.
Gauff, a 19-year-old from Florida, was helped in Washington by two recent additions to her team: full-time coach Pere Riba — he’ll be with her at least through the U.S. Open, which starts on Aug. 28 — and temporary consultant Brad Gilbert.
“It’s our first tournament as a full team. I'm glad that we were able to make this result. Thank you for sticking with me,” Gauff said during the trophy ceremony, getting a thumbs-up from Gilbert. “I know those who were with me at Wimbledon, it was really tough. … I'm glad I was able to bounce back.”
Did she ever.
Gauff did not drop a set all week in the hard-court tuneup for the U.S. Open. This was her second trophy of the season, alongside one in Auckland, New Zealand, in January.
She is ranked No. 7 and was seeded No. 3 in Washington, where she teamed with Caty McNally to win the doubles title in 2019.
The match briefly was interrupted in each set when a spectator was attended to in the stands on an afternoon with the temperature at about 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) and the humidity at 55%.
Gauff, the runner-up at the 2022 French Open, hit seven aces and improved to 4-1 in tour finals.
She is the first teenager to win four WTA tournaments since April 2009, when Caroline Wozniacki got the fourth of the seven trophies she collected as a teenager.
“You deserve everything you have achieved," Sakkari told Gauff. “You're still a girl, so you have a lot of time … and a lot of success to come, even though I know you've already achieved so many great things.”
Sakkari, a 28-year-old from Greece who is ranked No. 9 and was seeded No. 4, is now 1-7 in finals.
“I’m not going to lie," she said, wiping away tears. "It's pretty disappointing.”
