Cori Gauff, 18, has become the youngest player since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009 to clinch 100 WTA wins, per tennis.com Gauff, seeded at No 7, saw off Emma Raducanu 6-3 7-6 (4) to reach the Australian Open third round. Gauff, who won Auckland in her first tournament of the year, now owns a perfect 7-0 record in 2023.
By beating Raducanu, Gauff recorded her 100th win on the main level. In 2009, Wozniacki was also 18 when she clinched her 100th win. Also, Wozniacki was a bit younger 18-year-old when she reached the 100-win mark.
Gauff reacts to her milestone
After noticing the milestone she hit, Gauff tweeted: “This is crazy.”
This is crazyð¤¯ð¤¯ https://t.co/qbnnmwBf7c — Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) January 18, 2023
Playing Raducanu in a Grand Slam second round wasn’t ideal for Gauff but the American noted that she simply has to prepared for everything when it comes to Grand Slams.
“At a Grand Slam you have to win seven matches, and when you go into the tournament you have to expect to play the best. Obviously you hope it’s not in the second round, but what can you do? I feel like we handled the pressure pretty well, and kudos to Emma—I know she had a tough week in Auckland, so really good for her to be able to play this level after such a scary moment,” Gauff explained after the match.
Gauff was up by a set and a break before Raducanu forced her way back into the match. In the second set tie-break, Gauff won four points in a row to open a 6-2 lead. Gauff missed out on her first two match points but converted her third match point to escape with a two-set win.
“I just told myself to hang in there. Emma was playing really good tennis towards the end of the match. Honestly, the whole match was great. In the beginning I think we both started off rocky, but I think the match was good quality for the most part.
Considering the circumstances—I imagine both of us were nervous, as this was a long-anticipated match-up basically since the draw came out. So I’m glad that it was a good match for you guys,” Gauff said.
