WTA Player of the Year Countdown, No. 3: Coco Gauff

2023 By The Numbers

• 51-16: Overall win-loss record
• 14-3: Grand Slam win-loss record (AO 4R, RG QF, W 1R, USO 🏆)
• 4: Titles (Auckland, Washington D.C., Cincinnati, US Open)
• 0: Runner-ups
• 18-1: Record after first-round Wimbledon loss through US Open
• 30: Voting points in WTA Player of the Year Countdown (See "The Voters' Thoughts" below for more.)

Tracy's Take

I was impressed by how well Coco managed the pressure on her way to winning the US Open. Having won the US Open as a teenager myself, I can relate to the expectations Coco has long faced.

A tough first-round loss at Wimbledon motivated her to make a change, adding the highly experienced Brad Gilbert to her coaching team. She then had a turnaround summer, winning titles in D.C. and Cincinnati—and arrived in New York with justifiably high hopes. Every time Coco played, the American crowd was heavily in her corner. And every time, Coco competed like a champion.

There was that tricky opener versus crafty Laura Siegemund. Later, Coco’s semifinal was delayed when a protestor glued his feet to the ground. And then, in the finals, Coco lost the first set against a red-hot Aryna Sabalenka. With lots of celebrities and millions cheering her on, Coco problem-solved her way to the title.—Tracy Austin, Hall of Famer and former No. 1

The Voters' Thoughts

👉 Ten voters from the TENNIS.com editorial team each selected five players for our 2023 WTA Player of the Year vote. Each voters' first-place selection was worth 5 points, second-place vote 4 points, and so forth. Selected commentary from voters will be included in each 2023 WTA Player of the Year write-up.

Overcoming glitches that plagued her game early in the season, the sensational 19-year-old became the first American to win the US Open since Sloane Stephens in 2017.—Peter Bodo

For all the focus on U.S. men’s tennis in 2023, Gauff began a new era of dominance for American women with a perfect summer swing—one that culminated in a fairytale victory in New York City. Long a celebrity, the still-teenaged Coco revamped her game and coaching team to prove she has what it takes to be a star.—David Kane

The 19-year-old showed her maturity this season, which could have easily derailed after a lean streak that saw her game get picked apart by competitors. Instead, Gauff hit reset after Wimbledon by bringing on a whole new team, and was rewarded with stepping stones of progress: her first 500-level title in Washington D.C., her first WTA 1000 in Cincinnati—and her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open.—Stephanie Livaudais

Coco was the anti-Carlitos: after Wimbledon, it was on. The American ended the season on a 24-4 run (all matches on hard courts) and proved she can handle the mantle of “the next big thing” in tennis just fine.—Ed McGrogan

In the Summer of Coco, the teenager was the hottest thing this side of Barbieheimer and the brightest star on the WTA. Her 18-1 blitz after Wimbledon and through the US Open had it all—beating No. 1 and No. 2, a murderer's row of opponents at Flushing Meadows, and the heaviest expectations possible to emerge with her first Slam.—Megan Fernandez