Coco Gauff to become youngest top 10 pro for 16 years after US Open

Coco Gauff has confirmed that she will become the youngest American women since Serena Williams to break into the WTA top 10 with her US Open run, and the youngest women outright since 2006. 

The 18-year-old reached her first US Open quarter-final by defeating China’s Zhang Shuai in a thoroughly competitive fourth round match, and she faces the in-form Carolina Garcia next for a place in the semi-finals.

The win over Zhang places Gauff at eighth in the WTA live rankings, with Garcia and former world number one Karolina Pliskova the only two women in the draw capable of overtaking her. If Pliskova defeats Garcia in the final, both would jump past Gauff, but that would still leave the teenager 10th in the world after New York.

She will be the youngest woman in the top 10 since a 17-year-old Nicole Vaidisova made her debut there in August 2006, when Gauff was herself just two years old. She will be the youngest American woman to debut in the WTA top 10 since Serena Williams did in April 1999 at the age of 17 years and 191 days old.

Gauff also currently sits sixth in the official race to the WTA Finals, though she is up at fourth in the live race at time of publication behind world number Iga Swiatek, Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur and compatriot Jessica Pegula.

The young star is 2-0 against her next opponent Garcia, having faced the Frenchwoman at Indian Wells last year and Doha in February. However, Garcia is arguably the most in-form player on the WTA tour right now, with 24 wins from her last 28 tour level matches and yet to drop a set at the US Open.

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