Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka – Women’s Final – Preview & Prediction | 2023 US Open
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
THE FACTS
When is Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka on and what time does it start? Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka will take place on Saturday 9th September, 2023 – not before 21:00 (UK)
Where is Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka taking place? Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka will take place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, USA
What surface is Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka being played on? Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka will take place on an outdoor hard court
Where can I get tickets for Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka
What channel is Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka on in the UK? The US Open will be televised live on the Sky Sports
Where can I stream Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka in the UK? Sky Sports subscribers can stream the 2023 US Open live on Sky Go
THE LOWDOWN
World number six Coco Gauff beat Karolina Muchova in straight sets either side of a climate protest on Thursday night, reaching her first US Open final and a second Grand Slam final overall. The 19-year-old can set a new WTA world ranking of third with a famous victory here and she will be much tougher to beat one year on from her hammering by Iga Swiatek in the Roland-Garros final. Gauff won the Washington Open this time last month in her first tournament since a sorry first round exit at Wimbledon and she surpassed that with a first Masters final at the Cincinnati Open, where she also beat Muchova in the final, to bring an 11-match winning streak into Saturday’s showdown.
25-year-old Aryna Sabalenka will become world number one for the first time next week no matter the outcome here but she can do so in style if she lifts her second Grand Slam of the year. The Belarussian displayed all of her newfound grit at this level by coming back from 0-6 3-5 down to beat former finalist Madison Keys 10-5 in the deciding tiebreak on Thursday and she should be better for dropping her first set of the tournament ahead of this enticing clash. Sabalenka beat Elena Rybakina from a set down to win her maiden Grand Slam in Melbourne back in January and she has reached at least the semi-finals in each of her last five major campaigns.
THE PREDICTION
This promises to be an exhilarating final between incoming world number one Aryna Sabalenka and world number six Coco Gauff, with the Belarussian the slight favourite on tournament form but the American favoured heavily by home advantage. 19-year-old Gauff’s improvements over the course of the past five weeks on tour are nothing short of remarkable, with new coach Brad Gilbert stripping back her game and helping block out all the unwanted noise to see her thrive on the best, most exciting parts of her belligerent game.
The teenager will be backed to the hilt by a partisan atmosphere on Arthur Ashe that may break all the decibel records at Flushing Meadows and she has proved herself capable of utilising that support in the right way this fortnight with some excellent fightbacks. However, Sabalenka has found some of her very best tennis in New York and she, perhaps more importantly, managed to fight back from a terrible start to find that level mid-match against Madison Keys on Thursday. The second seed reached back-to-back semi-finals here before finally winning on her third attempt this season and she brings the confidence and experience of winning a Grand Slam into this clash with all the resolve required to play the villain.
Gauff leads their head-to-head record 3-2 but Sabalenka won their most recent encounter in comfortable straight sets at Indian Wells back in March. However, this new and improved Gauff should provide much more of a challenge on her 11-match winning streak and brimming with confidence. The pair are 2-2 on hardcourts and 1-1 on US hardcourts, with three of their five previous matches seeing three sets with a tiebreak in each. Taking this match to see three sets and adding in a tiebreak could be the shrewd way to avoid siding with a winner but, if forced to side with one of two very capable champions, Sabalenka looks the slightest of favourites on overall tournament level and winning experience at this stage.
